USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 02343 — Holbrook, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Blue Hill Coop, MA (625 ft), 7 miles northwest.
Updated
In Holbrook, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 18 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 190 days (NOAA, Blue Hill Coop, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 18
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 190 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 14
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 69.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Holbrook
Half of springs at Blue Hill Coop, MA see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after April 30 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 190 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 207 days one year in ten and falls short of 170 one year in ten. On average 121 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 12 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Blue Hill Coop, 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 02343 →Compare Holbrook with another place →
Weather by month in Holbrook
July is the warmest month at Blue Hill Coop, MA, averaging 82°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 18°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 2,799 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 72% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 30% of them (828) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 705. Precipitation totals 53.9 inches a year, most in March (5.5") and least in July (3.5"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 18 | 4.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 37 | 20 | 4.0 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 44 | 27 | 5.5 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
| Apr | 56 | 38 | 4.8 | 100% | 6 | 68 |
| May | 67 | 48 | 3.8 | 10% | <1 | 252 |
| Jun | 75 | 58 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 496 |
| Jul | 82 | 64 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Aug | 80 | 63 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Sep | 73 | 56 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 426 |
| Oct | 61 | 44 | 5.5 | 67% | 2 | 145 |
| Nov | 50 | 34 | 4.3 | 100% | 13 | 29 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 5.4 | 100% | 24 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Blue Hill Coop, MA (625 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, 7 miles south of Holbrook and 550 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days later (April 22), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 19), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Holbrook, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Holbrook usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Blue Hill Coop, MA, 6.9 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 12 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02343
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 7 – February 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 02343 is 7 miles from Blue Hill Coop, MA, which stands at 625 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02136 (Hyde Park). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02343 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.