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When to plant in Louisville, CO

USDA Zone 6a

Louisville, Colorado frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

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

Station · BOULDER · 10.8 km
Last spring frost
May 6
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
October 5
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
152 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for LouisvilleA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Louisville: last spring frost around May 6, first fall frost around October 5, about 152 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

BOULDER · 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 Louisville’s own odds, recorded at BOULDER.

Frost-probability curves for LouisvilleProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around May 6 and the first fall frost around October 5, giving about 152 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 2May 17May 5Sep 13Sep 28Oct 10
32°FMay 18May 6Apr 24Sep 21Oct 5Oct 18
28°FMay 10Apr 27Apr 10Sep 30Oct 15Oct 30

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 13July 27
Fall sowopen now
Cabbage
July 13July 27
Fall sowopen now
Carrot
July 13July 27
Fall sowopen now
Cauliflower
July 13July 27
Fall sowopen now
Napa Cabbage
July 13August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Beet
July 27August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Collards
July 27August 24
Fall sowin 8 days
Endive
July 27August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Escarole
July 27August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Fennel (Bulb)
July 27August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Kale
July 27August 24
Fall sowin 8 days
Kohlrabi
July 27August 24
Fall sowin 8 days
Peas
July 27August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Radicchio
July 27August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Swiss Chard
July 27August 10
Fall sowin 8 days
Turnip
July 27August 24
Fall sowin 22 days
Arugula
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Bok Choy
August 10August 24
Fall sowin 22 days
Chervil
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Cilantro
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Claytonia (Miner's Lettuce)
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Corn Salad (Mâche)
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
August 10August 24
Fall sowin 22 days
Lettuce
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Mizuna
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Mustard Greens
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Radish
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Shungiku (Edible Chrysanthemum)
August 10August 24
Fall sowin 22 days
Spinach
August 10September 7
Fall sowin 22 days
Tatsoi
August 10September 7

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 Louisville, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 17 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.

BOULDER
Primary
11 km · 1672 m elevation
SPRING
May 6
FALL
Oct 5
NORTHGLENN
14 km · 1648 m elevation
SPRING
May 2
FALL
Oct 11
RALSTON RSVR
17 km · 1798 m elevation
SPRING
May 3
FALL
Oct 14

Louisville planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Louisville, CO?

Louisville's average last spring frost falls near May 6 — 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 Louisville, CO?

The first fall frost in Louisville typically arrives around October 5 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is Louisville in?

Louisville 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 Louisville?

There are roughly 152 frost-free days in Louisville (a moderate growing season), running from the average last frost around May 6 to the first fall frost near October 5.

When should I plant tomatoes in Louisville?

In Louisville, start tomato seeds indoors around March 11–March 25, then transplant seedlings outdoors around May 13 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Louisville

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at BOULDER, 11 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 Louisville, CO — Frost Dates & Zone 6a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00050848. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/colorado/louisville.
When to Plant in Louisville, CO — Frost Dates & Zone 6a — BlissGarden