No Hard Freeze Yet for Colorado—But It’s Coming Soon

Usually by this time of year, most Coloradans have already experienced the first hard freeze of the season. Meaning that sprinklers are blown out, plants and vegetation start to wither from the cold, and the pumpkins you bought at the pumpkin patch start to shrivel up if you didn't bring them inside.

What Is a Hard Freeze in Colorado?

A hard freeze is pretty destructive when it comes to plants, as a layer of ice crystals forms on surfaces, causing damage to vegetation that is not hardy enough to survive the cold. This type of freeze happens when the temperature falls below 28 degrees or lower for an extended period of time.

READ MORE: Simple Winter Prep Tips for Colorado Homeowners

A freeze is when the air temperature drops to below 32 degrees for at least one hour, usually in the overnight hours, and can be damaging to some plants and crops, but not all of them.

Why Colorado Hasn’t Seen Its First Freeze Yet

According to KDVR, the average first freeze should have already happened around October 7, but strangely enough, we haven't seen the season's first freeze as of yet on the Front Range. Normally, when we see the first freeze of the season, the first hard freeze is not far behind. KDVR's weather meteorologist, Travis Michaels, says that the first freeze of the season for the Denver Metro area is going to happen in late October this year, and so should the first snowfall of the season.

READ MORE: Colorado’s 2025 Fall Weather Forecast Predicts Late Snow

If you are a homeowner, now would probably be the perfect time to blow out those in-ground sprinkler systems, as you can always water by hand before the first actual freeze. If you wait too long and the first hard freeze happens before you blow out those sprinkler lines, you could risk damage to your irrigation system, including your backflow preventer. If that gets damaged, it's a pretty penny to have replaced, ask me how I know.