USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 03060 — Nashua, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Nashua Cwsu, NH (180 ft), 1 miles southwest.
Updated
In Nashua, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 8, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Nashua Cwsu, NH).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 8
- Growing season
- 162 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
- December 3
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 52.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nashua
Half of springs at Nashua Cwsu, NH see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 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 8 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 145 one year in ten. On average 149 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 10, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Nashua Cwsu, 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 03060 →Compare Nashua with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Nashua 2 NNW, NH, 3 miles north of Nashua, has a last frost 1 day later (April 30), a first frost 4 days later (October 12), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Nashua, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Nashua usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Nashua 2 NNW, NH, 3 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03060
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 8 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 03060 is 1 mile from Nashua Cwsu, NH, which stands at 180 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03060 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.