USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 01520 — Holden, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Worcester Regional Airport, MA (1,000 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Holden, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 181 days (NOAA, Worcester Regional Airport, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 181 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 19
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 72.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Holden
Half of springs at Worcester Regional Airport, MA see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 83% of the 71 Massachusetts stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 21 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 181 days in a typical year, longer than at 76% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 130 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 4, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 2 | May 4 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Worcester Regional Airport, 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 01520 →Compare Holden with another place →
Weather by month in Holden
July is the warmest month at Worcester Regional Airport, MA, averaging 80°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,494 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 30% of them (759) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 643. Precipitation totals 48.2 inches a year, most in October (4.8") and least in February (3.3"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 3.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 19 | 3.3 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 43 | 26 | 4.2 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Apr | 56 | 37 | 4.1 | 100% | 8 | 61 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 3.6 | 26% | <1 | 231 |
| Jun | 75 | 56 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 457 |
| Jul | 80 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Aug | 78 | 61 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 598 |
| Sep | 71 | 53 | 4.2 | 2% | <1 | 362 |
| Oct | 59 | 42 | 4.8 | 82% | 3 | 109 |
| Nov | 48 | 33 | 4.0 | 100% | 15 | 21 |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 4.3 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Worcester Regional Airport, MA (1,000 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, Barre Falls Dam, MA, 11 miles northwest of Holden and 175 feet lower, has a last frost 19 days later (May 12), a first frost 20 days earlier (October 1), a season 40 days shorter.
When it snows in Holden, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Holden usually arrives around November 19, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Worcester Regional Airport, MA, 4.9 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 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 01520
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 01520 is 5 miles from Worcester Regional Airport, MA, which stands at 1,000 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 24 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 01604 (Worcester). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 01520 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.