Massachusetts Frost Dates

Massachusetts has 69 NOAA weather stations with freeze records in the 1991–2020 climate normals. The typical last spring frost ranges from April 4 at Boston Logan Intl Ap to May 17 at E Hawley; at half the stations it has come by April 27. The first fall frost typically arrives between October 1 at Barre Falls Dam and November 15 at Chatham, with a median of October 14.

The growing season between the typical frosts runs from 136 days at E Hawley to 221 days at Chatham; 169 days at the median station.

Every station in Massachusetts

Typical dates have a 50% chance of a frost after them in spring, and before them in fall; safer dates, 10%. A garden can differ from its nearest station, especially in a valley or on a hillside: see why your garden may differ.

Massachusetts: freeze (32 °F) dates by NOAA station, 1991–2020 normals
Station	Elevation	Last frost	Safer	First frost	Safer	Season (days)
Amherst	145 ft	May 5	May 19	Oct 8	Sep 28	156
Ashburnham N	1,146 ft	May 5	May 19	Oct 7	Sep 24	152
Ashburnham	1,108 ft	May 2	May 16	Oct 13	Oct 1	163
Barre Falls Dam	825 ft	May 12	May 28	Oct 1	Sep 18	141
Bedford Hanscom Fld	133 ft	Apr 28	May 12	Oct 10	Sep 28	165
Bedford	160 ft	Apr 27	May 11	Oct 13	Oct 1	169
Belchertown	550 ft	May 3	May 16	Oct 14	Oct 1	164
Beverly Muni Ap	108 ft	Apr 24	May 6	Oct 17	Oct 3	177
Beverly	65 ft	May 4	May 17	Oct 12	Oct 1	160
Birch Hill Dam	855 ft	May 6	May 19	Oct 1	Sep 19	148
Blue Hill Coop	625 ft	Apr 18	Apr 30	Oct 26	Oct 9	190
Blue Hill	625 ft	Apr 19	May 1	Oct 24	Oct 10	187
Boston Logan Intl Ap	12 ft	Apr 4	Apr 17	Nov 9	Oct 29	218
Bridgewater	40 ft	May 1	May 15	Oct 9	Sep 26	161
Brockton	75 ft	Apr 22	May 5	Oct 19	Oct 5	178
Buffumville Lake	520 ft	May 1	May 13	Oct 10	Sep 28	162
Chatham Muni Ap	68 ft	Apr 13	Apr 26	Nov 4	Oct 21	206
Chatham	40 ft	Apr 5	Apr 18	Nov 15	Nov 1	221
E Brimfield Lake	700 ft	Apr 28	May 17	Oct 15	Oct 1	169
E Hawley	1,647 ft	May 17	May 30	Oct 1	Sep 18	136
E Sandwich	150 ft	Apr 26	May 9	Oct 26	Oct 11	180
E Wareham	30 ft	Apr 21	May 3	Oct 24	Oct 11	186
Edgartown	30 ft	Apr 17	May 3	Nov 3	Oct 20	199
Fitchburg Coop	665 ft	May 1	May 14	Oct 9	Sep 29	162
Fitchburg Muni Ap	348 ft	Apr 29	May 13	Oct 11	Oct 1	164
Greenfield #3	130 ft	May 1	May 15	Oct 11	Sep 29	162
Groveland	30 ft	May 3	May 17	Oct 8	Sep 28	158
Haverhill	20 ft	May 1	May 14	Oct 12	Oct 1	163
Hingham	35 ft	Apr 25	May 8	Oct 22	Oct 6	177
Hyannis Barnstable Muni Ap	55 ft	Apr 22	May 5	Oct 28	Oct 13	188
Hyannis	60 ft	Apr 16	Apr 30	Oct 30	Oct 15	195
Jamaica Plain	95 ft	Apr 19	May 3	Oct 23	Oct 8	185
Lawrence Muni Ap	149 ft	Apr 21	May 1	Oct 21	Oct 6	182
Lawrence	50 ft	Apr 13	Apr 29	Oct 28	Oct 13	198
Lenox Dale	1,004 ft	May 7	May 21	Oct 3	Sep 21	147
Leverett #2	315 ft	May 2	May 16	Oct 9	Sep 29	160
Lowell	110 ft	Apr 30	May 10	Oct 10	Sep 30	164
Marblehead	84 ft	Apr 25	May 13	Oct 20	Oct 5	176
Maynard 2	205 ft	May 2	May 16	Oct 6	Sep 25	156
Middleboro	45 ft	Apr 23	May 6	Oct 16	Oct 3	174
Middleton	110 ft	May 3	May 20	Oct 9	Sep 29	157
Nantucket Mem Ap	45 ft	Apr 13	Apr 27	Nov 8	Oct 25	208
Natick	180 ft	Apr 26	May 9	Oct 12	Oct 1	169
New Bedford Coop	18 ft	Apr 11	Apr 22	Nov 5	Oct 24	208
New Bedford Muni Ap	80 ft	Apr 29	May 15	Oct 15	Oct 2	167
North Adams Harriman Ap	654 ft	May 10	May 25	Oct 4	Sep 21	147
Norton W	95 ft	Apr 27	May 10	Oct 15	Oct 1	168
Norwood Mem Ap	50 ft	Apr 25	May 11	Oct 9	Sep 28	167
Nws Boston/Norton	85 ft	Apr 23	May 5	Oct 17	Oct 3	177
Orange Muni Ap	555 ft	May 4	May 17	Oct 8	Sep 27	157
Pittsfield Muni Ap	1,194 ft	May 5	May 21	Oct 5	Sep 23	152
Plymouth Muni Ap	149 ft	Apr 30	May 12	Oct 16	Oct 3	170
Plymouth-Kingston	45 ft	Apr 15	Apr 28	Nov 1	Oct 17	198
Reading	110 ft	Apr 25	May 8	Oct 17	Oct 3	174
Rochester	65 ft	Apr 23	May 7	Oct 21	Oct 6	180
Rowe 3ne	1,735 ft	May 14	May 26	Oct 4	Sep 20	143
Southbridge 3 Sw	685 ft	Apr 25	May 8	Oct 13	Oct 2	168
Taunton Muni Ap	43 ft	May 2	May 16	Oct 8	Sep 25	158
Taunton	20 ft	Apr 22	May 6	Oct 19	Oct 4	179
Tully Lake	680 ft	Apr 25	May 8	Oct 17	Oct 3	175
Vineyard Haven Ap	68 ft	May 7	May 27	Oct 9	Sep 23	156
W Harwich	15 ft	Apr 13	Apr 26	Nov 3	Oct 22	204
Walpole 2	170 ft	Apr 27	May 11	Oct 14	Oct 2	169
West Medway	210 ft	Apr 30	May 14	Oct 9	Sep 29	162
Westfield 3 Sw	430 ft	Apr 28	May 11	Oct 17	Oct 2	171
Westfield Barnes Muni Ap	271 ft	May 3	May 17	Oct 8	Sep 26	158
Woods Hole Golf Club	80 ft	Apr 11	Apr 24	Nov 11	Oct 31	213
Worcester Rgnl Ap	1,000 ft	Apr 23	May 5	Oct 21	Oct 6	181
Worthington	1,285 ft	May 13	May 26	Oct 2	Sep 20	144

Plan your garden with these dates

Enter your ZIP code in the planner: it picks the nearest of these stations and dates every crop in your beds from its frosts. Free, in your browser.

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Questions

When is the last frost in Massachusetts?

It depends on where you are. The typical last spring frost at Massachusetts's NOAA stations ranges from April 4 to May 17, and half of them have had it by April 27. Enter your ZIP code above for the station nearest you.

When is the first frost in Massachusetts?

Typically between October 1 and November 15, depending on the station; the median is October 14. Plan fall crops back from your own station's date.

What do "typical" and "safer" mean?

With the typical (50%) last-frost date, half of years still have a frost after it. With the safer (10%) date, only one year in ten does. In fall it's the other way around: the safer date is the earlier one.

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)

Massachusetts Frost Dates

Every station in Massachusetts

Plan your garden with these dates

Questions

Other states

Sources