USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 02857 — North Scituate, Rhode Island
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from N Foster 1 E, RI (630 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In North Scituate, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 9 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 176 days (NOAA, N Foster 1 E, RI).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 176 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
- November 18
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 62"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in North Scituate
Half of springs at N Foster 1 E, RI see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 13, 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 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 October 19 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 176 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 10 Rhode Island stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 133 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 7, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at N Foster 1 E, 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 02857 →Compare North Scituate with another place →
Weather by month in North Scituate
July is the warmest month at N Foster 1 E, RI, averaging 80°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 19°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 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,556 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 10 Rhode Island stations. 31% of them (786) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 646. Precipitation totals 53.8 inches a year, most in March (5.2") and least in July (3.6"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 19 | 4.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 38 | 20 | 3.9 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 5.2 | 100% | 24 | 10 |
| Apr | 58 | 37 | 4.7 | 100% | 9 | 65 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 3.8 | 31% | 1 | 242 |
| Jun | 76 | 56 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 467 |
| Jul | 80 | 61 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Aug | 79 | 60 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Sep | 72 | 53 | 4.4 | 3% | 0 | 373 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 5.0 | 85% | 4 | 121 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 4.5 | 100% | 16 | 24 |
| Dec | 40 | 24 | 5.2 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at N Foster 1 E, RI (630 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, Woonsocket, RI, 12 miles northeast of North Scituate and 520 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 22), the same first-frost date, a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in North Scituate, Rhode Island
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in North Scituate usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at N Foster 1 E, RI, 5.7 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 24 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02857
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 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 02857 is 6 miles from N Foster 1 E, RI, which stands at 630 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 06239 (Danielson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02857 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.