Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 87144
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 87144 in zone 7b (the coldest night of a typical year: 5 to 10°F).
The nearest station, Rio Rancho #1, NM, is 6 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 16 in half of years and after May 2 in one year in ten.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Rancho #1, NM | 6 mi | 5,230 ft | April 16 | May 2 | October 23 | – |
| Rio Rancho, NMRio Rancho #2 | 7 mi | 5,290 ft | April 8 | April 28 | November 1 | – |
| Corrales, NM | 9 mi | 5,026 ft | April 25 | May 10 | October 17 | 7a |
| Jemez Dam, NM | 10 mi | 5,388 ft | April 17 | May 3 | October 24 | – |
| Placitas, NM4 mi W | 13 mi | 5,585 ft | April 16 | May 5 | October 23 | – |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Rio Rancho #1
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | May 12 | May 4 | April 29 | April 16 | October 16 | October 4 |
| 32°F | May 2 | April 22 | April 16 | April 2 | October 23 | October 12 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 15 | April 5 | March 30 | March 12 | November 2 | October 20 |
| 24°F | March 27 | March 17 | March 10 | February 25 | November 13 | October 30 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.