Rhode Island Frost Dates

Rhode Island has 11 NOAA weather stations with freeze records in the 1991–2020 climate normals. The typical last spring frost ranges from April 7 at Newport Rose to May 3 at Kingston; at half the stations it has come by April 22. The first fall frost typically arrives between October 8 at Kingston and November 13 at Newport Rose, with a median of October 20.

The growing season between the typical frosts runs from 159 days at Kingston to 216 days at Newport Rose; 179 days at the median station.

Every station in Rhode Island

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.

Rhode Island: freeze (32 °F) dates by NOAA station, 1991–2020 normals
StationElevationLast frostSaferFirst frostSaferSeason (days)
Coventry 2280 ftApr 22May 4Oct 20Oct 5179
Kingston 1 Nw115 ftApr 27May 11Oct 15Oct 2171
Kingston 1 W106 ftMay 1May 18Oct 12Oct 1163
Kingston117 ftMay 3May 16Oct 8Sep 30159
N Foster 1 E630 ftApr 25May 9Oct 19Oct 4176
Newport Rose15 ftApr 7Apr 21Nov 13Oct 31216
Newport State Ap172 ftApr 11Apr 24Nov 4Oct 22206
Providence T F Green Ap60 ftApr 11Apr 23Oct 30Oct 16199
Tiverton90 ftApr 11Apr 22Nov 2Oct 20203
Westerly State Ap81 ftApr 11Apr 26Oct 31Oct 16201
Woonsocket110 ftApr 22May 6Oct 19Oct 5179

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 Rhode Island?

It depends on where you are. The typical last spring frost at Rhode Island's NOAA stations ranges from April 7 to May 3, and half of them have had it by April 22. Enter your ZIP code above for the station nearest you.

When is the first frost in Rhode Island?

Typically between October 8 and November 13, depending on the station; the median is October 20. 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.

Other states

Sources

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