USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 03234 — Epsom, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Concord Municipal Airport, NH (346 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Epsom, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 146 days (NOAA, Concord Municipal Airport, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 146 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 20
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 67.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Epsom
Half of springs at Concord Municipal Airport, NH see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 22 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 25% of the 51 New Hampshire stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 3 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 146 days in a typical year, shorter than at 61% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 163 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 165 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 12 days longer, to about May 20, and return around September 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 20 | May 23 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 16°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 30 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Concord Municipal 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 03234 →Compare Epsom with another place →
Weather by month in Epsom
July is the warmest month at Concord Municipal Airport, NH, averaging 83°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 13°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 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,472 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 31% of them (761) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 654. Precipitation totals 41.9 inches a year, most in October (4.4") and least in January (2.8"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 13 | 2.8 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 15 | 2.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 23 | 3.3 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
| Apr | 58 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 16 | 52 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.5 | 80% | 3 | 229 |
| Jun | 78 | 54 | 3.8 | 1% | 0 | 473 |
| Jul | 83 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Sep | 74 | 49 | 3.6 | 36% | 1 | 347 |
| Oct | 61 | 38 | 4.4 | 99% | 11 | 92 |
| Nov | 48 | 29 | 3.4 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| Dec | 37 | 20 | 3.7 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Concord Municipal Airport, NH (346 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, Massabesic Lake, NH, 17 miles south of Epsom, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 8 days later (October 11), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Epsom, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Epsom usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Concord Municipal Airport, NH, 7.4 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 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03234
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 03234 is 7 miles from Concord Municipal Airport, NH, which stands at 346 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 03301 (Concord). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03234 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.