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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 02322 — Avon, Massachusetts

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Brockton, MA (75 ft), 6 miles south.

Updated

In Avon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Brockton, MA).

Last spring frost
April 22

50% probability

First fall frost
October 19

50% probability

Growing season
178 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 20

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 14

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
89%

25 of 28 observed

Snow per year
34.3"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Avon

Half of springs at Brockton, MA see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 5 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 129 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 5, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and March 8.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 24Apr 28May 1May 3May 5May 8May 10May 13May 18
32°FApr 8Apr 13Apr 17Apr 20Apr 22Apr 25Apr 28May 1May 5
28°FMar 27Mar 31Apr 2Apr 4Apr 6Apr 9Apr 13Apr 17Apr 20
24°FMar 12Mar 17Mar 21Mar 24Mar 27Mar 30Apr 1Apr 4Apr 8
20°FMar 3Mar 8Mar 11Mar 14Mar 17Mar 20Mar 23Mar 27Mar 31
16°FFeb 19Feb 26Mar 1Mar 5Mar 8Mar 11Mar 14Mar 18Mar 23
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 3
28°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14
16°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 9Dec 13Dec 18Dec 22Dec 28

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Brockton, 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 02322 →Compare Avon with another place →

Weather by month in Avon

July is the warmest month at Brockton, MA, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 22% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,982 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 30% of them (899) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 738. Precipitation totals 50.2 inches a year, most in March (5.2") and least in July (3.2"); May to September bring 37% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Brockton, MA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan39214.0100%272
Feb41223.6100%252
Mar48295.2100%2313
Apr59384.598%876
May70473.422%1275
Jun78574.10%0531
Jul84633.20%0738
Aug83623.60%0696
Sep75544.12%<1444
Oct64435.084%5161
Nov54344.4100%1639
Dec44265.1100%256

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Brockton, MA (75 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, Blue Hill Coop, MA, 7 miles northwest of Avon and 550 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 18), a first frost 7 days later (October 26), a season 12 days longer.

Frost dates for 02136 (Hyde Park) →

When it snows in Avon, Massachusetts

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Avon usually arrives around December 20, and the last of the season around March 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Brockton, MA, 5.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 39 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 02322

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Avon, Massachusetts
WhenWhat to do
February 11 – February 25Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 25 – March 11Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 25 – April 8Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 22 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 27Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 5Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 19 onwardPlant 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 02322 is 6 miles from Brockton, MA, which stands at 75 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02301 (Brockton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02322 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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in Massachusetts