USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02050 — Marshfield, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Plymouth-Kingston, MA (45 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
In Marshfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 198 days (NOAA, Plymouth-Kingston, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 198 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 10
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 37.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Marshfield
Half of springs at Plymouth-Kingston, MA see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 28 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 November 1 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 198 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 218 days one year in ten and falls short of 179 one year in ten. On average 120 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 15 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 22 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 |
| 16°F | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 22 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Plymouth-Kingston, 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 02050 →Compare Marshfield with another place →
Weather by month in Marshfield
July is the warmest month at Plymouth-Kingston, MA, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,094 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 29% of them (908) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 745. Precipitation totals 52.7 inches a year, most in March (5.8") and least in July (3.5"); May to September bring 36% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 22 | 4.8 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Feb | 43 | 23 | 4.2 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 5.8 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 4.7 | 91% | 6 | 72 |
| May | 69 | 48 | 3.7 | 5% | <1 | 272 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 745 |
| Aug | 82 | 63 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Sep | 76 | 57 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 488 |
| Oct | 65 | 46 | 5.0 | 45% | 2 | 198 |
| Nov | 55 | 36 | 4.4 | 98% | 13 | 43 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 4.9 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Plymouth-Kingston, MA (45 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, Hingham, MA, 14 miles northwest of Marshfield, has a last frost 10 days later (April 25), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 22), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Marshfield, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Marshfield usually arrives around December 10, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Plymouth-Kingston, MA, 8.8 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 02050
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 02050 is 9 miles from Plymouth-Kingston, MA, which stands at 45 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02050 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.