USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 02822 — Exeter, Rhode Island
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kingston, RI (117 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Exeter, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 8, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 159 days (NOAA, Kingston, RI).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 8
- Growing season
- 159 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 6
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 34.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Exeter
Half of springs at Kingston, RI see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 16 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 60% of the 10 Rhode Island stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 8 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 159 days in a typical year, the shortest of the 10 Rhode Island stations; it reaches 179 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 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 11 days longer, to about May 14, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kingston, 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 02822 →Compare Exeter with another place →
Weather by month in Exeter
July is the warmest month at Kingston, RI, averaging 83°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,865 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 10 Rhode Island stations. 30% of them (848) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 699. Precipitation totals 53.2 inches a year, most in March (5.6") and least in July (3.3"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 21 | 4.2 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 43 | 22 | 3.8 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Mar | 49 | 28 | 5.6 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Apr | 60 | 37 | 4.9 | 100% | 10 | 66 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 3.8 | 58% | 1 | 262 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 509 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Aug | 82 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 4.4 | 12% | <1 | 440 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 5.0 | 97% | 6 | 169 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 4.5 | 100% | 16 | 41 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 5.3 | 100% | 23 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kingston, RI (117 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, Kingston 1 NW, RI, 6 miles southeast of Exeter, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 27), a first frost 7 days later (October 15), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Exeter, Rhode Island
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Exeter usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Kingston, RI, 6 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 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02822
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 8 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 02822 is 6 miles from Kingston, RI, which stands at 117 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02822 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 Rhode Island →
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.