USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02576 — West Wareham, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from E Wareham, MA (30 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In West Wareham, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, E Wareham, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 186 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 9
- Last snow
- March 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 37.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Wareham
Half of springs at E Wareham, MA see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 3 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 24 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 168 one year in ten. On average 116 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 2, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and March 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at E Wareham, 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 02576 →Compare West Wareham with another place →
Weather by month in West Wareham
July is the warmest month at E Wareham, MA, averaging 81°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 22°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 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,713 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 27% of them (737) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 697. Precipitation totals 51.3 inches a year, most in March (5.6") and least in July (3.1"); May to September bring 36% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 4.2 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Feb | 41 | 22 | 3.7 | 100% | 24 | 0 |
| Mar | 46 | 28 | 5.6 | 100% | 21 | 4 |
| Apr | 56 | 37 | 4.6 | 98% | 7 | 37 |
| May | 66 | 48 | 3.8 | 17% | <1 | 219 |
| Jun | 75 | 57 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 477 |
| Jul | 81 | 64 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Aug | 80 | 63 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Sep | 73 | 55 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 424 |
| Oct | 63 | 44 | 5.0 | 71% | 2 | 155 |
| Nov | 53 | 35 | 4.5 | 100% | 13 | 34 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 5.0 | 100% | 23 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at E Wareham, MA (30 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, Rochester, MA, 8 miles west of West Wareham, has a last frost 2 days later (April 23), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 21), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in West Wareham, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Wareham usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at E Wareham, MA, 4.6 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02576
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 02576 is 5 miles from E Wareham, MA, which stands at 30 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02532 (Bourne). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02576 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.