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When to plant in Cañon City, CO

USDA Zone 6a

Here are the average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and a month-by-month planting calendar for Cañon City, Colorado — all computed from Cañon City's nearest NOAA weather station.

Zone 6a means Cañon City sees real winter cold, but a good range of perennials survive; the frost dates above govern when annual vegetables go out.

Station · CANON CITY · 2.1 km
Last spring frost
May 4
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
October 7
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
156 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Cañon CityA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Cañon City: last spring frost around May 4, first fall frost around October 7, about 156 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

CANON CITY · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Cañon City’s own odds, recorded at CANON CITY.

Frost-probability curves for Cañon CityProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around May 4 and the first fall frost around October 7, giving about 156 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FJun 1May 16May 3Sep 14Sep 28Oct 9
32°FMay 18May 4Apr 24Sep 25Oct 7Oct 19
28°FMay 7Apr 26Apr 13Oct 3Oct 17Oct 29

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowopen now
Broccoli
July 15July 29
Fall sowopen now
Cabbage
July 15July 29
Fall sowopen now
Carrot
July 15July 29
Fall sowopen now
Cauliflower
July 15July 29
Fall sowopen now
Napa Cabbage
July 15August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Beet
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Collards
July 29August 26
Fall sowin 10 days
Endive
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Escarole
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Fennel (Bulb)
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Kale
July 29August 26
Fall sowin 10 days
Kohlrabi
July 29August 26
Fall sowin 10 days
Peas
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Radicchio
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Swiss Chard
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 10 days
Turnip
July 29August 26
Fall sowin 24 days
Arugula
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Bok Choy
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 24 days
Chervil
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Cilantro
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Claytonia (Miner's Lettuce)
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Corn Salad (Mâche)
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 24 days
Lettuce
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Mizuna
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Mustard Greens
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Radish
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Shungiku (Edible Chrysanthemum)
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 24 days
Spinach
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 24 days
Tatsoi
August 12September 9

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Cañon City, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 39 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

CANON CITY
Primary
2 km · 1639 m elevation
SPRING
May 4
FALL
Oct 7
GUFFEY 9SE
31 km · 2717 m elevation
SPRING
May 19
FALL
Oct 2
CRIPPLE CREEK 3NNW
39 km · 2815 m elevation
SPRING
May 26
FALL
Sep 26

Cañon City planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Cañon City, CO?

Cañon City's average last spring frost falls near May 4 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in Cañon City, CO?

In Cañon City, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around October 7 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Cañon City in?

Cañon City is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. In zone 6a, winters are moderate — most common vegetables grow well in season.

How long is the growing season in Cañon City?

There are roughly 156 frost-free days in Cañon City (a moderate growing season), running from the average last frost around May 4 to the first fall frost near October 7.

When should I plant tomatoes in Cañon City?

In Cañon City, start tomato seeds indoors around March 9–March 23, then transplant seedlings outdoors around May 11 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Cañon City

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Cañon City’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at CANON CITY, 2 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Cañon City, CO — Frost Dates & Zone 6a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00051294. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/colorado/canon-city.
When to Plant in Cañon City, CO — Frost Dates & Zone 6a — BlissGarden