Colorado’s Early Spring: A Hidden Risk for Peaches

For some parts of Western Colorado, temperatures in the 70s arrived well before the first day of spring. In the Grand Valley, temperatures have been in the eighties from March 19 to March 22, causing many of the trees to bloom ahead of schedule.

For the many growers in Palisade, Grand Junction, and Fruita, the early bloom of peach blossoms and other trees is setting up a risky situation if temperatures suddenly drop in the weeks ahead.

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Why Warm March Weather Is Triggering Early Peach Blooms

Read More: What Colorado’s Winter Cold Really Means for Palisade Peaches

According to the Sentinel, fruit trees are already budding weeks early, and the bloom is now clearly visible from I-70 as you pass through the Grand Valley. It’s a bit early for peach blossoms, but these trees rely on temperature patterns to time their growth, and this warm stretch has pushed them out of dormancy faster than usual. Growers say recent “growing degree days” show how even short bursts of warmth can move an orchard ahead of schedule.

Early Bloom + Late Freeze = A High-Stakes Window for Grower

Once peach blossoms decide to open, a hard frost or freeze can kill them. Even temperatures near freezing can cause serious damage to an orchard. This is why this early bloom is stopping many in our tracks. It’s very early for a bloom like this, and while the trees are looking great, we are entering the most vulnerable stage weeks ahead of time.

What a Late Freeze Could Mean—and What Comes Next

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While the warmer daytime highs are enjoyable, the AccuWeather 30-day outlook for April predicts overnight lows in the Grand Valley to be very close to freezing from April 6 to 16, and again from April 19 to 25. Remember, these are just AccuWeather's estimates from a 30-day forecast done in advance of April, and not indications of what will actually happen. However, it is worth keeping an eye on.

Weather Update 3/30/26: As we head into April, the updated forecast from the National Weather Service indicates that colder overnight lows will arrive sooner than initially predicted. Cold temps will return overnight, April 1 to 5. Lows will dip into the 30s again for another cold spell between April 13 and 21. See the April data here.