USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 01375 — Sunderland, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Leverett #2, MA (315 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Sunderland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 160 days (NOAA, Leverett #2, MA).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 160 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 25
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 45.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sunderland
Half of springs at Leverett #2, MA see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 16 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 9 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 160 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 179 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 one year in ten. On average 153 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 11 days longer, to about May 13, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Leverett #2, 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 01375 →Compare Sunderland with another place →
Weather by month in Sunderland
July is the warmest month at Leverett #2, MA, averaging 83°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 12°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 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,606 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 56% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 32% of them (828) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 677.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 12 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 12 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Apr | 58 | 34 | 100% | 14 | 61 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 55% | 2 | 260 |
| Jun | 79 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 499 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 677 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 14% | 0 | 364 |
| Oct | 60 | 39 | 96% | 8 | 95 |
| Nov | 48 | 29 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Dec | 37 | 20 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Leverett #2, MA (315 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, Amherst, MA, 5 miles south of Sunderland and 170 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days later (May 5), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 8), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Sunderland, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sunderland usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sunderland, MA, 0.6 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 01375
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 9 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 01375 is 2 miles from Leverett #2, MA, which stands at 315 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 01373 (South Deerfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 01375 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.