USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02874 — Saunderstown, Rhode Island
Averages from Kingston 1 Nw, Ri US, the nearest reporting station, 4.7 miles away.
Plant tender crops after April 27, and expect the first autumn freeze around October 15. That leaves about 171 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 171 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
0 to 5°F annual low
- 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
When it snows in Saunderstown, Rhode Island
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Saunderstown, Rhode Island 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 US, 4.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow.
For a gardener, snow matters less than frost: a light snow on frozen ground changes nothing, while a hard frost on an unprotected bed ends the season. Use the frost dates above for planting and the snow dates for getting hoses drained, mulch down and tender pots indoors.
Planting calendar for 02874
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after April 27 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Saunderstown, Rhode Island are past their last freeze. Harvest before October 15, which leaves roughly 171 frost-free days.
ZIP 02874 sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 0 to 5°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.