USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 03057 — Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Milford, NH (320 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Mont Vernon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 156 days (NOAA, Milford, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 156 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 25
- Last snow
- March 26
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 57.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mont Vernon
Half of springs at Milford, NH see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 88% of the 51 New Hampshire stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 5 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 156 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 173 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 159 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 10 days longer, to about May 13, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Milford, 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 03057 →Compare Mont Vernon with another place →
Weather by month in Mont Vernon
July is the warmest month at Milford, NH, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 14°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,495 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 31% of them (781) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 674. Precipitation totals 46.1 inches a year, most in October (4.9") and least in January (3.0"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 14 | 3.0 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Feb | 36 | 15 | 3.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 24 | 3.8 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Apr | 58 | 34 | 4.2 | 100% | 14 | 57 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 3.4 | 60% | 2 | 234 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 485 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 674 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 601 |
| Sep | 73 | 50 | 4.0 | 24% | 1 | 346 |
| Oct | 60 | 38 | 4.9 | 100% | 10 | 80 |
| Nov | 49 | 28 | 3.9 | 100% | 20 | 12 |
| Dec | 38 | 20 | 4.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Milford, NH (320 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, E Milford, NH, 6 miles southeast of Mont Vernon, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 28), a first frost 3 days later (October 8), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mont Vernon usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Milford, NH, 4.5 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03057
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 03057 is 5 miles from Milford, NH, which stands at 320 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 03055 (Milford). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03057 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.