USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 02062 — Norwood, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Norwood Mem Airport, MA (50 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Norwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 167 days (NOAA, Norwood Mem Airport, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 167 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 20
- Last snow
- April 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 56.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Norwood
Half of springs at Norwood Mem Airport, MA see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 87% 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 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 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 April 27, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 167 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 145 one year in ten. On average 139 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 8, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Norwood Mem 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 02062 →Compare Norwood with another place →
Weather by month in Norwood
July is the warmest month at Norwood Mem Airport, MA, averaging 86°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,088 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 32% of them (993) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 752. Precipitation totals 43.8 inches a year, most in October (4.5") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 21 | 3.4 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Feb | 42 | 22 | 2.8 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Mar | 49 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 18 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 4.0 | 99% | 10 | 99 |
| May | 71 | 48 | 3.3 | 34% | 2 | 305 |
| Jun | 80 | 57 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 752 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Sep | 77 | 52 | 3.8 | 15% | 1 | 435 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 4.5 | 90% | 9 | 163 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 3.7 | 100% | 18 | 41 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 4.1 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Norwood Mem Airport, MA (50 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, Walpole 2, MA, 3 miles southwest of Norwood, has a last frost 2 days later (April 27), a first frost 5 days later (October 14), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Norwood, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Norwood usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Walpole 2, MA, 2.9 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02062
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 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 02062 is 2 miles from Norwood Mem Airport, MA, which stands at 50 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02062 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.