Plan your vegetable garden in Colorado

All the statistical weather information you need to prepare a bulletproof plan for your garden in Colorado

Temperature range in Colorado

Colorado has temperatures ranging from -12°F to 92°F, with approximately 108 frost free days.

Colorado has 80 days with average temperature range from 50°F to 90°F that are suitable for growing warm season vegetables and 59 days with average temperature range from 40°F to 80°F that are suitable for growing cool season vegetables

Chart displaying weekly air temperature in Colorado — Colorado air temperature chart based on weather statistics from 2019 to 2023

Total frost free days (after last frost and before first frost)	108
Total days suitable to grow warm season vegetables	80
Total days suitable to grow cool season vegetables	59
Day with highest recorded temperature in past 4 years	July 18: 92°F
Day with lowest recorded temperature in past 4 years	February 15: -12°F
First expected frost date	September 10
Last expected frost date	May 25

Notable temperature facts for gardening in Colorado

Warm season vegetables you can grow in Colorado

Chart displaying days suitable for growing warm season vegetables in Colorado — Days suitable for growing warm season vegetables in Colorado

Warm season vegetables that need to be started indoors before transplanting outdoors in Colorado

Summer squash

Winter squash

Sweet corn

Okra

Cool season vegetables you can grow in Colorado

Chart displaying days suitable for growing cool season vegetables in Colorado — Days suitable for growing cool season vegetables in Colorado

Cool season vegetables can be planted in Colorado after May 27 when average air temperature is consistently above 40°F (4°C) and soil temperature is above 45°F (7°C)

Good temperature range for cool season vegetables is between 40°F and 80°F. With cool season vegetables it is important to avoid high air temperatures because exposure to high temperatures is most likely to stun growth, cause bitterness and encourage premature bolting in some plants. Plan your cool vegetable planting so they are harvested before hot weather stretch, provide them with additional shading.

Cool season vegetables that can be planted directly into soil in Colorado

Chives

Cool season vegetables that need to be started indoors before transplanting outdoors in Colorado

Arugula

Beets

Swiss chard

Turnip

Parsley

Coriander

Kohlrabi

Table with days suitable to grow vegetables in Colorado

Tolerable temperature range for cool season vegetables: 40°F to 80°F

Tolerable temperature range for warm season vegetables: 50°F to 90°F

	Week	Average temperature	Possible min and max temperature	Suitable for cool season vegetables	Suitable for warm season vegetables
1	January 01 - January 03	9°F to 33°F	-7°F to 42°F
2	January 04 - January 10	15°F to 38°F	1°F to 49°F
3	January 11 - January 17	16°F to 40°F	2°F to 51°F
4	January 18 - January 24	15°F to 36°F	1°F to 46°F
5	January 25 - January 31	11°F to 35°F	-7°F to 48°F
6	February 01 - February 07	13°F to 38°F	-10°F to 57°F
7	February 08 - February 14	13°F to 37°F	-5°F to 49°F
8	February 15 - February 21	11°F to 36°F	-12°F to 50°F
9	February 22 - February 28	12°F to 38°F	-2°F to 50°F
10	March 01 - March 07	18°F to 45°F	0°F to 60°F
11	March 08 - March 14	22°F to 45°F	-3°F to 58°F
12	March 15 - March 21	20°F to 46°F	7°F to 57°F
13	March 22 - March 28	23°F to 48°F	7°F to 65°F
14	March 29 - April 04	25°F to 53°F	13°F to 68°F
15	April 05 - April 11	29°F to 58°F	14°F to 71°F
16	April 12 - April 18	26°F to 52°F	11°F to 71°F
17	April 19 - April 25	31°F to 57°F	14°F to 73°F
18	April 26 - May 02	35°F to 63°F	27°F to 75°F
19	May 03 - May 09	37°F to 64°F	27°F to 77°F
20	May 10 - May 16	38°F to 64°F	27°F to 78°F
21	May 17 - May 23	40°F to 65°F	25°F to 81°F	TRUE
22	May 24 - May 30	41°F to 68°F	29°F to 80°F	TRUE
23	May 31 - June 06	46°F to 72°F	36°F to 87°F	TRUE
24	June 07 - June 13	48°F to 77°F	38°F to 90°F	TRUE
25	June 14 - June 20	52°F to 80°F	42°F to 92°F	TRUE	TRUE
26	June 21 - June 27	51°F to 78°F	40°F to 88°F	TRUE	TRUE
27	June 28 - July 04	53°F to 81°F	46°F to 87°F	TRUE	TRUE
28	July 05 - July 11	55°F to 83°F	49°F to 92°F		TRUE
29	July 12 - July 18	58°F to 86°F	52°F to 92°F		TRUE
30	July 19 - July 25	58°F to 85°F	53°F to 92°F		TRUE
31	July 26 - August 01	58°F to 82°F	52°F to 89°F		TRUE
32	August 02 - August 08	56°F to 82°F	51°F to 89°F		TRUE
33	August 09 - August 15	56°F to 83°F	51°F to 88°F		TRUE
34	August 16 - August 22	56°F to 83°F	50°F to 90°F		TRUE
35	August 23 - August 29	55°F to 83°F	50°F to 90°F		TRUE
36	August 30 - September 05	54°F to 82°F	48°F to 89°F		TRUE
37	September 06 - September 12	50°F to 78°F	28°F to 90°F	TRUE
38	September 13 - September 19	48°F to 76°F	38°F to 83°F	TRUE
39	September 20 - September 26	46°F to 75°F	40°F to 82°F	TRUE
40	September 27 - October 03	46°F to 71°F	36°F to 82°F	TRUE
41	October 04 - October 10	41°F to 68°F	25°F to 78°F	TRUE
42	October 11 - October 17	35°F to 63°F	18°F to 76°F
43	October 18 - October 24	36°F to 62°F	20°F to 75°F
44	October 25 - October 31	23°F to 49°F	-5°F to 69°F
45	November 01 - November 07	28°F to 55°F	7°F to 68°F
46	November 08 - November 14	25°F to 51°F	9°F to 65°F
47	November 15 - November 21	25°F to 49°F	4°F to 64°F
48	November 22 - November 28	20°F to 44°F	-2°F to 58°F
49	November 29 - December 05	20°F to 44°F	4°F to 63°F
50	December 06 - December 12	19°F to 43°F	6°F to 54°F
51	December 13 - December 19	13°F to 35°F	-4°F to 51°F
52	December 20 - December 26	16°F to 41°F	-9°F to 52°F
53	December 27 - December 31	15°F to 36°F	-2°F to 50°F

Table with days suitable to grow vegetables in Colorado

Counties in Colorado

For more precise weather statisctics and planting information, please select a County.