Frost dates for Las Cruces, New Mexico
New Mexico · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals
In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Las Cruces comes near March 12 and the first fall freeze near November 13. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after April 2 in spring — and one year in ten, the first fall freeze has already landed by October 30. NCEI's own growing-season statistic (days between freezes, percentiled per year) puts the median at 241 days.
Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds
| Threshold | Last spring — 9 in 10 years past by | Last spring — typical (median) | Last spring — 1 in 10 years later than | First fall — 1 in 10 years by | First fall — typical (median) | First fall — 9 in 10 years by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur) | March 12 | April 1 | April 19 | October 21 | November 4 | November 15 |
| 32°F — freezing | February 23 | March 12 | April 2 | October 30 | November 13 | November 24 |
| 28°F — hard freeze | February 4 | February 26 | March 15 | November 9 | November 24 | December 8 |
Measured at State Univ, NM (USC00298535), 3.5 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 3,886 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals. Read each date column as odds over the 30-year record — e.g. "9 in 10 years past by" means only one spring in ten saw a later freeze than that date.
Frost-free windows (computed)
| Window (32°F ends) | Opens | Closes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | April 2 | October 30 | 211 days |
| Typical (median freeze dates) | March 12 | November 13 | 246 days |
| Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | February 23 | November 24 | 274 days |
Pure arithmetic on the freeze-date percentiles above — the "cautious" window opens on the date only 1 year in 10 still sees a later spring freeze, and closes on the date by which only 1 year in 10 has already frozen.
About this city's numbers
- Census entity: Las Cruces city, New Mexico — official 2024 population estimate 116,998.
- Weather station: State Univ, NM (USC00298535), 3.5 mi from the city's census-gazetteer reference point at elevation 3,886 ft. Frost dates are that station's history — neighborhoods vary.
- Data pulled 2026-09-05; normals period 1991-2020 (replaced by NOAA roughly once a decade).