USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 03053 — Londonderry, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Manchester Airport, NH (225 ft), 5 miles northwest.
Updated
In Londonderry, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 6 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 180 days (NOAA, Manchester Airport, NH).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 180 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 21
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 66.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Londonderry
Half of springs at Manchester Airport, NH see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% of the 51 New Hampshire 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 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, longer than at 98% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 129 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 4, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Manchester Airport, NH, 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 03053 →Compare Londonderry with another place →
Weather by month in Londonderry
July is the warmest month at Manchester Airport, NH, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 17°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 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,943 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 31% of them (923) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 739. Precipitation totals 40.4 inches a year, most in June (4.0") and least in January (2.4"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 17 | 2.4 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 37 | 19 | 2.7 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 3.5 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 3.3 | 99% | 7 | 77 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 3.4 | 22% | <1 | 288 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 545 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 3.7 | 2% | <1 | 432 |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 3.9 | 83% | 3 | 134 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 15 | 23 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 3.3 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Manchester Airport, NH (225 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, Hudson 1 SSE, NH, 7 miles south of Londonderry, has a last frost 12 days later (May 3), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 8), a season 24 days shorter.
When it snows in Londonderry, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Londonderry usually arrives around November 21, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hudson 1 SSE, NH, 6.9 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 03053
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 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 03053 is 5 miles from Manchester Airport, NH, which stands at 225 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 03103 (Manchester). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03053 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across New Hampshire →
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.