USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02644 — Forestdale, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from E Sandwich, MA (150 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Forestdale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 180 days (NOAA, E Sandwich, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 180 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 Forestdale
Half of springs at E Sandwich, MA see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 9 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 October 26 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 10 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, longer than at 73% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 199 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 122 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 7, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at E Sandwich, 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 02644 →Compare Forestdale with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, E Wareham, MA, 10 miles northwest of Forestdale, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 21), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 24), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Forestdale, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Forestdale 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, 9.9 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02644
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 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 02644 is 3 miles from E Sandwich, MA, which stands at 150 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02649 (Mashpee). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02644 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.