USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 02631 — Brewster, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chatham Municipal Airport, MA (68 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Brewster, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 13 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Chatham Municipal Airport, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 13
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 206 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 16
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 97%
- Snow per year
- 24.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Brewster
Half of springs at Chatham Municipal Airport, MA see their last 32°F night by April 13; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 26 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 November 4 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 92 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 14 days longer, to about April 27, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 31 and February 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 |
| 20°F | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 |
| 16°F | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chatham Municipal Airport, 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 02631 →Compare Brewster with another place →
Weather by month in Brewster
July is the warmest month at Chatham Municipal Airport, MA, averaging 79°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 26°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 2,567 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 24% of them (628) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 665. Precipitation totals 45.2 inches a year, most in December (5.0") and least in July (2.8"); May to September bring 35% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 26 | 3.8 | 100% | 23 | 0 |
| Feb | 40 | 26 | 3.6 | 100% | 22 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 31 | 4.4 | 100% | 17 | 2 |
| Apr | 52 | 39 | 4.0 | 91% | 4 | 24 |
| May | 62 | 48 | 3.3 | 5% | <1 | 171 |
| Jun | 72 | 57 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 431 |
| Jul | 79 | 64 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 665 |
| Aug | 78 | 64 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Sep | 71 | 58 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 429 |
| Oct | 61 | 47 | 4.2 | 33% | 1 | 167 |
| Nov | 52 | 39 | 4.5 | 98% | 8 | 35 |
| Dec | 44 | 31 | 5.0 | 100% | 19 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chatham Municipal Airport, MA (68 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, W Harwich, MA, 6 miles south of Brewster, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day earlier (November 3), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Brewster, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Brewster usually arrives around December 16, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Chatham, MA, 8.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 97% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 25 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02631
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 2 – February 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 16 – March 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 02631 is 6 miles from Chatham Municipal Airport, MA, which stands at 68 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 02645 (Harwich). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02631 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.