USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02840 — Newport, Rhode Island
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newport Rose, RI (15 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Newport, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Newport Rose, RI).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 216 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 Newport
Half of springs at Newport Rose, RI see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% of the 10 Rhode Island stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, the longest of the 10 Rhode Island stations; it reaches 235 days one year in ten and falls short of 194 one year in ten. On average 89 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 16 days longer, to about April 23, and return around November 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 30 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 |
| 20°F | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 18 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newport Rose, 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 02840 →Compare Newport with another place →
Weather by month in Newport
August is the warmest month at Newport Rose, RI, averaging 78°F by day and 64°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 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,713 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 10 Rhode Island stations. 25% of them (686) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 652. Precipitation totals 47.4 inches a year, most in April (4.7") and least in June (3.2"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 24 | 4.0 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Feb | 40 | 25 | 3.6 | 100% | 21 | 0 |
| Mar | 46 | 32 | 4.6 | 100% | 17 | 2 |
| Apr | 55 | 40 | 4.7 | 81% | 3 | 32 |
| May | 65 | 49 | 3.9 | 0% | <1 | 213 |
| Jun | 72 | 58 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 439 |
| Jul | 77 | 64 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Aug | 78 | 64 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Sep | 73 | 59 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 482 |
| Oct | 63 | 49 | 4.7 | 10% | 0 | 203 |
| Nov | 53 | 40 | 3.9 | 92% | 5 | 40 |
| Dec | 44 | 31 | 4.5 | 100% | 18 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newport Rose, RI (15 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, Newport State Airport, RI, 3 miles northeast of Newport and 157 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days later (April 11), a first frost 9 days earlier (November 4), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Newport, Rhode Island
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Newport 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, 11 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02840
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 02840 is 2 miles from Newport Rose, RI, which stands at 15 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02840 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 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.