USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 02325 — Bridgewater, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bridgewater, MA (40 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Bridgewater, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 161 days (NOAA, Bridgewater, MA).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 161 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
- December 17
- Last snow
- March 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bridgewater
Half of springs at Bridgewater, MA see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider 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 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 161 days in a typical year, shorter than at 73% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 181 days one year in ten and falls short of 141 one year in ten. On average 142 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 September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bridgewater, 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 02325 →Compare Bridgewater with another place →
Weather by month in Bridgewater
July is the warmest month at Bridgewater, MA, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,522 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 29% of them (738) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 662. Precipitation totals 51.2 inches a year, most in March (5.2") and least in August (2.7"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 17 | 4.2 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 40 | 18 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 47 | 26 | 5.2 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
| Apr | 58 | 35 | 4.8 | 100% | 12 | 51 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.8 | 51% | 1 | 219 |
| Jun | 77 | 54 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 457 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 601 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 4.3 | 18% | 1 | 370 |
| Oct | 63 | 40 | 5.1 | 96% | 6 | 123 |
| Nov | 53 | 31 | 4.6 | 100% | 19 | 24 |
| Dec | 43 | 24 | 4.7 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bridgewater, MA (40 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, Brockton, MA, 5 miles northwest of Bridgewater, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 10 days later (October 19), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Bridgewater, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bridgewater usually arrives around December 17, and the last of the season around March 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Taunton, MA, 7.7 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 47 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02325
| 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 02325 is 2 miles from Bridgewater, MA, which stands at 40 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02324 (Bridgewater). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02325 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.