New Mexico
Planting zones in McKinley County, New Mexico
This county spans USDA zones 6a to 7a, so there is no single zone for McKinley County and anyone who gives you one is rounding. 60% of its ZIP codes are zone 6a; the rest are not.
Your ZIP code
Get the exact answer for your address
Everything above describes McKinley County, New Mexico as a whole. Hardiness zones and freeze dates are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact — enter it and this page will tell you your zone, which NOAA station it comes from and how far away that station is.
The growing season in McKinley County is closing
Nothing in the 32-crop table still has time to mature here. The first fall freeze normally arrives September 25 – October 7 across the 7 NOAA stations serving this county .
Your next season already has a date
The first job of it is 🧅 Green Onions, start indoors, around March 16 – April 10 — counted back from a last spring freeze of May 11 – June 5 here.
These are ranges across the whole county. The ZIP lookup above gives the dates from your own nearest station instead.
All 7 stations agreeAt least one station
Every one of the 7 NOAA stations serving this county counts June 5 – September 25 as growing season (112 days). Widening to any single station gives May 11 – October 7 (149 days).
That is a 37-day difference inside one county — which is why this page gives ranges rather than a single planting date. The ZIP lookup above resolves it to one station.
Which zone you are in depends where you are
McKinley County covers 3 hardiness zones. A guide that gives the county one zone has picked whichever is largest and rounded everyone else into it — fine for the 60% in zone 6a and wrong for the other 40%. Here is the actual split.
| Zone | ZIP codes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6a | 12 | 60% | |
| 6b | 7 | 35% | |
| 7a | 1 | 5% |
Zones are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact even though the county's is not. The hardiness tool will tell you which one you are in.
Your freeze dates
Across the 7 NOAA stations serving this county. These are medians — half of years freeze later than the date shown — so treat the later end of each range as the cautious one.
The growing season runs 109–148 days depending which station you are nearest, as published by NOAA rather than computed from the dates above. Summer highs average 82.3–88.7 °F in June–August. Summer rain over the same months runs 3.1–6.5" across those 7 stations, against the rough inch a week — about 13 inches over the same 92 days — that a vegetable garden is usually reckoned to want. The middle station covers about 31% of it, so expect to make up the rest. The inches are NOAA's published normals; the inch a week is a rule of thumb, and it takes no account of a 87 °F summer afternoon drying the soil faster than a cool one.
Every ZIP code in McKinley County
Zones are published per ZIP code, not per county, so this is the exact answer rather than the county's average. The station column is the nearest one to that ZIP code's centroid and how far away it is — the same figure the tools use, shown here so you can see which ZIP codes are well covered and which are reaching.
| ZIP code | USDA zone | Nearest NOAA station | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86515 | 6b | Window Rock AP, AZ | 8.9 km |
| 87045 | 6a | Thoreau 12 SE, NM | 16.1 km |
| 87301 | 6a | Gallup Muni AP, NM | 2.9 km |
| 87305 | 6a | Gallup Muni AP, NM | 13.6 km |
| 87310 | 6b | Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM | 26.1 km |
| 87311 | 6b | Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM | 20.3 km |
| 87312 | 6a | Mcgaffey 5 SE, NM | 13.7 km |
| 87313 | 6b | Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM | 37.9 km |
| 87316 | 6a | Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM | 16.6 km |
| 87317 | 6b | Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM | 7.3 km |
| 87319 | 6a | Gallup Muni AP, NM | 13.8 km |
| 87320 | 6b | Window Rock AP, AZ | 23.9 km |
| 87322 | 6a | Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM | 6.0 km |
| 87323 | 6a | Thoreau 12 SE, NM | 17.8 km |
| 87325 | 7a | Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM | 52.0 km |
| 87326 | 6a | Zuni, NM | 23.3 km |
| 87327 | 6a | Zuni, NM | 4.6 km |
| 87347 | 6a | Mcgaffey 5 SE, NM | 5.6 km |
| 87365 | 6a | Thoreau 12 SE, NM | 26.2 km |
| 87375 | 6b | Gallup Muni AP, NM | 17.4 km |
ZIP-code positions are area centroids, so a large rural ZIP code's listed distance is measured from the middle of its area rather than from any particular address in it.
When to start seeds in McKinley County
Every date below is anchored on the last spring freeze at each station and reported as a range across all 7 of them, because no one station speaks for the county.
| Crop | Job | When | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧅 Green Onions | Start indoors | March 16 – April 10 | 8 wk before |
| 🌶️ Peppers | Start indoors | March 16 – April 10 | 8 wk before |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Start indoors | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🥬 Cabbage | Start indoors | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🥬 Collards | Start indoors | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🥬 Kale | Start indoors | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🥬 Leaf Lettuce | Start indoors | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🫛 Peas | Direct sow | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🥬 Spinach | Direct sow | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🍠 Sweet Potato | Start indoors | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Start indoors | March 30 – April 24 | 6 wk before |
| 🥬 Bok Choy | Start indoors | April 6 – May 1 | 5 wk before |
| 🥬 Kohlrabi | Start indoors | April 6 – May 1 | 5 wk before |
| 🥬 Swiss Chard | Start indoors | April 6 – May 1 | 5 wk before |
| 🥬 Arugula | Direct sow | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🥬 Baby Salad Greens | Direct sow | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🥕 Beets | Direct sow | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🧅 Green Onions | Direct sow | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🥬 Mustard Greens | Direct sow | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🌶️ Okra | Start indoors | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🌱 Radishes | Direct sow | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🥔 Turnips | Direct sow | April 13 – May 8 | 4 wk before |
| 🥬 Cabbage | Set out | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥕 Carrots | Direct sow | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Collards | Direct sow | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Collards | Set out | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Start indoors | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🧅 Green Onions | Set out | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Kale | Direct sow | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Kale | Set out | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Kohlrabi | Direct sow | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Kohlrabi | Set out | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Leaf Lettuce | Direct sow | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🎃 Pumpkins | Start indoors | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🎃 Summer Squash | Start indoors | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🎃 Winter Squash | Start indoors | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Start indoors | April 20 – May 15 | 3 wk before |
| 🥬 Bok Choy | Direct sow | April 27 – May 22 | 2 wk before |
| 🥬 Bok Choy | Set out | April 27 – May 22 | 2 wk before |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Set out | April 27 – May 22 | 2 wk before |
| 🌿 Cilantro | Direct sow | April 27 – May 22 | 2 wk before |
| 🥬 Leaf Lettuce | Set out | April 27 – May 22 | 2 wk before |
| 🥬 Swiss Chard | Direct sow | April 27 – May 22 | 2 wk before |
| 🥬 Swiss Chard | Set out | April 27 – May 22 | 2 wk before |
| 🌿 Dill | Direct sow | May 4 – May 29 | 1 wk before |
| 🫘 Bush Beans | Direct sow | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Set out | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🎃 Pumpkins | Direct sow | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🎃 Pumpkins | Set out | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🎃 Summer Squash | Direct sow | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🎃 Summer Squash | Set out | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | Direct sow | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Set out | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🎃 Winter Squash | Direct sow | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🎃 Winter Squash | Set out | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Direct sow | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Set out | May 18 – June 12 | 1 wk after |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Direct sow | May 25 – June 19 | 2 wk after |
| 🌶️ Okra | Direct sow | May 25 – June 19 | 2 wk after |
| 🌶️ Okra | Set out | May 25 – June 19 | 2 wk after |
| 🌶️ Peppers | Set out | May 25 – June 19 | 2 wk after |
| 🫘 Southern Peas | Direct sow | May 25 – June 19 | 2 wk after |
| 🍠 Sweet Potato | Set out | May 25 – June 19 | 2 wk after |
Offsets are published guidance; the dates they land on are computed from measured NOAA normals. The seed-starting tool does this for your own ZIP code and counts the days.
What survives the winter changes across McKinley County
Zone 7a carries 58 of 74 perennial edibles; zone 6a carries 51. The best number is not always the warmest zone — the count peaks in the middle and falls both ways, because the warm end loses plants to insufficient winter chill and summer heat, not to cold.
Hardiness ranges are a judgement, published by growers rather than measured; the zone they are compared against is measured. On a warm-end verdict, check with your local extension service — a coastal zone 8 and an inland zone 8 are not the same summer.
Cautious — shortens the seasonMedian across stationsOptimistic
- Last spring freeze
- Plan to June 22 to be careful. Median May 11 – June 5 across 7 stations; April 30 is the optimistic end.
- First fall freeze
- Plan to September 10 to be careful. Median September 25 – October 7 across 7 stations; October 20 is the optimistic end.
NOAA publishes these as probabilities, not averages — the middle figure is a median, so half of years fall either side of it. The cautious end is the 10% tail: in roughly nine years in ten the freeze falls on the safe side of it.
The 7 stations behind these numbers
All 7 NOAA stations whose normals this page quotes, spanning about 106 km north to south. Every one is named with its identifier in the station list below — this page does not single one out, because no one station speaks for a whole county.
A relative sketch, not a map with a projection: longitude is adjusted for latitude so the shape is not stretched, and there is no basemap. For the one station nearest a specific address, with its real distance, use the ZIP lookup above.
These are the stations this county's ZIP codes actually cite as nearest — not a claim that each one sits inside its boundary, since a rural ZIP legitimately reaches over it. Every figure above comes from them, and each is named so you can check it.
| Station | NOAA ID | Last spring freeze | First fall freeze | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM | USC00291647 | May 28 | September 27 | 120 days |
| Gallup Muni AP, NM | USW00023081 | May 31 | September 28 | 119 days |
| Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM | USC00293428 | May 11 | October 7 | 148 days |
| Mcgaffey 5 SE, NM | USC00295560 | June 5 | September 25 | 109 days |
| Thoreau 12 SE, NM | USC00298834 | May 29 | September 26 | 118 days |
| Window Rock AP, AZ | USW00003029 | May 29 | September 28 | 121 days |
| Zuni, NM | USW00093044 | May 29 | October 2 | 127 days |
These are medians, not averages — NOAA publishes freeze dates as a probability distribution, and half of years freeze later than the date shown.
Your own ZIP
Work out your own dates
This page describes a whole county. Every tool below answers for one ZIP code, which is the grain the underlying data is published at.
Other places to compare
McKinley County sits in New Mexico. That page carries the whole state's zone spread, its metro areas, and every other county in it with a page here.
More of New Mexico
- Taos County, NM 5a, 5b, 6a, 7a
- Otero County, NM 7a–8b
- San Miguel County, NM 6a–7b
- Grant County, NM 7b–8a
- Lincoln County, NM 7a–7b
- Cibola County, NM 5b–7a
- Mora County, NM 6a–6b
- Lea County, NM 7b–8a
- Socorro County, NM 7a–7b
- Colfax County, NM 5b–6a
- Sierra County, NM 7a–8a
- Roosevelt County, NM 7a–7b
Counties with the same zones — 6a–7a
Matched on the exact zone set, not a dominant zone, so the winter answer on these pages really is the same one as here.
Gear
If you want to act on this
Each link opens an Amazon search rather than a product we picked. We have not tested these and do not rank them — the search is the honest version, and you choose.
- Trunk wrapZone 6a is cold enough that winter sun on a young trunk does more damage than the cold does.
- Row cover and frost clothThe season here closes at the first fall freeze dated above — a cover buys back some of those days at the end.
- MulchFor the perennials nearest their cold limit in zone 6a, where an insulated crown is what decides whether they come back.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. That costs you nothing extra, and it buys no influence over anything on this site: the dates come from NOAA normals and the zones from the USDA, and no product affects either.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
Hardiness zones are the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, published per ZIP code by PRISM at Oregon State. Freeze dates and growing-season lengths are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, taken per station and cited above by name and NOAA ID.
County boundaries come from the Census ZCTA-to-county relation, which is what places each ZIP code — and which treats parishes, boroughs and census areas as county equivalents. No station is chosen to represent this county: every range above is taken across all of them and the count is stated, because picking one would be a judgement dressed as a measurement.