USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 01238 — Lee, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lenox Dale, MA (1,004 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Lee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Lenox Dale, MA).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 147 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 13
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lee
Half of springs at Lenox Dale, MA see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 21 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 51% of the 71 Massachusetts stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 3 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 164 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 166 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 13 days longer, to about May 20, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lenox Dale, MA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 01238 →Compare Lee with another place →
Weather by month in Lee
July is the warmest month at Lenox Dale, MA, averaging 82°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 13°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,253 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 31% of them (700) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 603.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 13 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 14 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 21 | 100% | 27 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 43 |
| May | 69 | 43 | 75% | 3 | 215 |
| Jun | 77 | 52 | 1% | 0 | 436 |
| Jul | 82 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Aug | 81 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 555 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 35% | 1 | 307 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 99% | 11 | 78 |
| Nov | 47 | 28 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lenox Dale, MA (1,004 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Pittsfield Municipal Airport, MA, 9 miles north of Lee and 190 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 5), a first frost 2 days later (October 5), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Lee, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lee usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lenox Dale, MA, 2.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 01238
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 01238 is 3 miles from Lenox Dale, MA, which stands at 1,004 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 01230 (Great Barrington). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 01238 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Massachusetts →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.