USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 02764 — North Dighton, Massachusetts
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Taunton, MA (20 ft), 6 miles northeast.
Updated
In North Dighton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Taunton, MA).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 179 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 17
- Last snow
- March 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in North Dighton
Half of springs at Taunton, MA see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, longer than at 70% of the 71 Massachusetts stations; it reaches 200 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 128 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 12 days longer, to about May 4, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Taunton, 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 02764 →Compare North Dighton with another place →
Weather by month in North Dighton
July is the warmest month at Taunton, MA, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 20°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 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,913 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 71 Massachusetts stations. 30% of them (874) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 719. Precipitation totals 48.9 inches a year, most in March (5.1") and least in February (3.4"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 20 | 3.7 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 40 | 21 | 3.4 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 5.1 | 100% | 22 | 8 |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 4.8 | 99% | 8 | 66 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 3.4 | 21% | 1 | 279 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 519 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 719 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 3.9 | 3% | <1 | 441 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 4.3 | 80% | 6 | 150 |
| Nov | 53 | 34 | 4.2 | 100% | 15 | 36 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 4.9 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Taunton, MA (20 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, Taunton Municipal Airport, MA, 7 miles east of North Dighton, has a last frost 10 days later (May 2), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 8), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in North Dighton, Massachusetts
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in North Dighton usually arrives around December 17, and the last of the season around March 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Taunton, MA, 5.5 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02764
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 02764 is 6 miles from Taunton, MA, which stands at 20 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 02780 (Taunton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02764 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.