USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02601 — Hyannis, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hyannis, MA (60 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Hyannis, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 195 days (NOAA, Hyannis, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 195 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
- January 2
- Last snow
- March 6
- Winters with snow
- 86%
- Snow per year
- 21.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hyannis
Half of springs at Hyannis, MA see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by April 5, 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 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 30 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 195 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 175 one year in ten. On average 101 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 April 29, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 22 and March 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 20°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 25 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hyannis, 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 02601 →Compare Hyannis with another place →
Weather by month in Hyannis
July is the warmest month at Hyannis, MA, averaging 78°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 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,518 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 25% of them (640) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 656. Precipitation totals 45.7 inches a year, most in March (4.8") and least in July (2.8"); 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 | 3.7 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Feb | 40 | 24 | 3.6 | 100% | 22 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 30 | 4.8 | 100% | 18 | 3 |
| Apr | 54 | 38 | 4.0 | 97% | 4 | 31 |
| May | 63 | 48 | 3.4 | 10% | <1 | 178 |
| Jun | 72 | 57 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 428 |
| Jul | 78 | 64 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 656 |
| Aug | 77 | 63 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Sep | 71 | 57 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 415 |
| Oct | 61 | 46 | 4.3 | 56% | 1 | 152 |
| Nov | 52 | 37 | 4.1 | 99% | 9 | 31 |
| Dec | 44 | 29 | 4.7 | 100% | 21 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hyannis, MA (60 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, Hyannis Barnstable Municipal Airport, MA, 1 mile northeast of Hyannis, has a last frost 6 days later (April 22), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 28), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Hyannis, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hyannis usually arrives around January 2, and the last of the season around March 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hyannis, MA, 1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 86% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02601
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 02601 is 1 mile from Hyannis, MA, which stands at 60 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 02601 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.