Trinidad, Colorado – A sharp drop in temperatures will bring the first hard freeze of the season to southern Colorado early Tuesday, ending the growing season for much of the region. The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Freeze Warning from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. Tuesday for Las Animas, Baca, and Huerfano counties, including Trinidad, Walsenburg, Kim, Walsh, Branson, and Springfield.
According to forecasters, clear skies and light winds will allow temperatures to plunge into the mid-20s to upper 20s before sunrise, with the coldest readings across open valleys and eastern plains. The chill will be widespread enough to cause frost on exposed surfaces and may damage unprotected crops, gardens, and irrigation systems.
The National Weather Service urges residents to move tender plants indoors, cover outdoor vegetation, and drain or wrap pipes and sprinkler systems ahead of the freeze. Farmers and ranchers across the southern plains should prepare for frost-sensitive feed crops to be affected.
According to Colorado emergency management officials, this freeze will mark a firm end to the region’s growing season, with temperatures gradually moderating midweek. However, another cold front could arrive by late week, keeping southern Colorado under a cool fall pattern into the weekend.
