Earliest And Latest Freezes Ever In Grand Junction, Colorado

The first true freeze of the season has arrived in the Grand Valley, and that means the garden hoses need to come in, the rose bushes need covering, and the growing season is winding down around Grand Junction.

Winter’s slow approach is now officially underway. Keep scrolling for a closer look at how this year’s freeze timing stacks up for gardeners, vineyards, orchards, and everyone who tracks the seasons in Western Colorado.

How This Year’s Freeze Compares To Past Years

In Mesa County, the National Weather Service says Grand Junction's first freeze usually arrives around October 22. In recent years, the Grand Valley has come to expect our first freeze sometime late in October.  Since 2010, Grand Junction’s first freeze has moved all over the October calendar.

Some years it happens as early as October 1, and some years the month is almost over by the time a freeze arrives in the Grand Valley. In 2024, Grand Junction’s first freeze arrived on October 30. A freeze in early October can mean the fall cooled faster than normal. A late-October freeze can follow a very warm summer and signal a longer growing season.

Read More: Local Secrets For Safe Winter Driving In Western Colorado

Earliest Freezes On Record in Grand Junction

Read More: See When Western Colorado Towns Light Up for the Holidays

Grand Junction’s earliest record freeze occurred on September 15, 1903, according to Extreme Weather Watch. A first freeze occurred on September 17, 2006, and on September 18, 1971. By comparison, the latest freeze to occur in Grand Junction happened on May 21, 2022.

In Delta County, the first freeze tends to fall on or around October 14. In Montrose County, the National Weather Service says the first freeze usually arrives in the Uncompahgre Valley by October 5.

Latest Freezes to Occur in Grand Junction

In Grand Junction, when the first freeze holds off until late October, it usually indicates a mild fall and a later onset of that deep winter cold. The Colorado Climate Center says a delayed freeze in places like the Grand Valley makes the first half of winter a little more bearable with less winter chill.

The experts stress that the timing of a first freeze does not dictate snowpack, avalanche risk, or deep freeze events during the rest of the season. It’s just an early signal that winter is about to slowly settle in across the Western Slope.

Get our free mobile app