USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02721 — Fall River, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tiverton, RI (90 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Fall River, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 203 days (NOAA, Tiverton, RI).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 203 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 8
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fall River
Half of springs at Tiverton, RI see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 22 10%. The 11 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 96% of the 71 Massachusetts stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 2 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 203 days in a typical year, longer than at 92% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 220 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 105 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 15 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 23 and March 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 23 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tiverton, RI, 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 02721 →Compare Fall River with another place →
Weather by month in Fall River
July is the warmest month at Tiverton, RI, averaging 85°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 90% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,226 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 99% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 29% of them (951) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 773. Precipitation totals 49.4 inches a year, most in March (5.6") and least in July (3.0"); 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 | 24 | 4.0 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Feb | 41 | 25 | 3.8 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Mar | 49 | 30 | 5.6 | 100% | 20 | 9 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 4.5 | 90% | 4 | 74 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 3.6 | 2% | 0 | 300 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 773 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Sep | 77 | 57 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 513 |
| Oct | 64 | 47 | 4.5 | 38% | 1 | 200 |
| Nov | 53 | 37 | 4.1 | 99% | 9 | 38 |
| Dec | 43 | 30 | 4.9 | 100% | 21 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tiverton, RI (90 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, New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA, 10 miles east of Fall River, has a last frost 18 days later (April 29), a first frost 18 days earlier (October 15), a season 36 days shorter.
When it snows in Fall River, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fall River usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tiverton, RI, 5 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 21 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02721
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 02721 is 5 miles from Tiverton, RI, which stands at 90 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02720 (Fall River). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02721 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.