USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02874 — Saunderstown, Rhode Island
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kingston 1 NW, RI (115 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Saunderstown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 171 days (NOAA, Kingston 1 NW, RI).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 171 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 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 Saunderstown
Half of springs at Kingston 1 NW, RI see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 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 15 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 171 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 10 Rhode Island stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 130 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 8, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kingston 1 NW, 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 02874 →Compare Saunderstown with another place →
Weather by month in Saunderstown
July is the warmest month at Kingston 1 NW, RI, averaging 80°F by day and 62°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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,488 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 90% of the 10 Rhode Island stations. 28% of them (702) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 646. Precipitation totals 51.3 inches a year, most in March (5.7") and least in July (3.1"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 20 | 4.2 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 3.9 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 28 | 5.7 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 4.5 | 100% | 10 | 44 |
| May | 66 | 46 | 3.5 | 35% | 1 | 204 |
| Jun | 74 | 56 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 447 |
| Jul | 80 | 62 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Aug | 79 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 601 |
| Sep | 72 | 53 | 4.3 | 5% | 0 | 379 |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 4.6 | 87% | 4 | 130 |
| Nov | 52 | 33 | 4.4 | 100% | 16 | 25 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 5.1 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kingston 1 NW, RI (115 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, RI, 5 miles west of Saunderstown, has a last frost 6 days later (May 3), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 8), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Saunderstown, Rhode Island
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Saunderstown 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, 4.8 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02874
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 02874 is 5 miles from Kingston 1 NW, RI, which stands at 115 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 02874 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.