USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 02879 — Wakefield, Rhode Island
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kingston 1 W, RI (106 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Wakefield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Kingston 1 W, RI).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 163 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 Wakefield
Half of springs at Kingston 1 W, RI see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 18 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest of the 10 Rhode Island stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 12 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 10 Rhode Island stations; it reaches 184 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 135 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 13 days longer, to about May 14, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kingston 1 W, 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 02879 →Compare Wakefield with another place →
Weather by month in Wakefield
July is the warmest month at Kingston 1 W, RI, averaging 80°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,419 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 10 Rhode Island stations. 28% of them (673) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 631. Precipitation totals 51.7 inches a year, most in March (5.7") 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 | 37 | 19 | 4.2 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 3.9 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 5.7 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 4.5 | 100% | 11 | 41 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 3.6 | 51% | 2 | 191 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 434 |
| Jul | 80 | 60 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 4.3 | 9% | <1 | 368 |
| Oct | 62 | 41 | 4.5 | 93% | 6 | 128 |
| Nov | 52 | 32 | 4.4 | 100% | 17 | 25 |
| Dec | 43 | 25 | 5.2 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kingston 1 W, RI (106 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 north of Wakefield, has a last frost 2 days later (May 3), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 8), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Wakefield, Rhode Island
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wakefield 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, 4.7 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 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 02879
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 02879 is 4 miles from Kingston 1 W, RI, which stands at 106 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 02879 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.