USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 01474 — Townsend, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fitchburg Coop, MA (665 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Townsend, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 14 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 162 days (NOAA, Fitchburg Coop, MA).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 162 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 24
- Last snow
- April 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 75.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Townsend
Half of springs at Fitchburg Coop, MA see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 14 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower 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 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 181 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 147 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 12, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fitchburg Coop, 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 01474 →Compare Townsend with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Fitchburg Municipal Airport, MA, 8 miles south of Townsend and 317 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 29), a first frost 2 days later (October 11), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Townsend, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Townsend usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Greenville 1 NNE, NH, 8.3 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 01474
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 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 01474 is 5 miles from Fitchburg Coop, MA, which stands at 665 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 01420 (Fitchburg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 01474 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.