USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 03276 — Tilton, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Franklin Falls Dam, NH (450 ft), 4 miles northwest.
Updated
In Tilton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 148 days (NOAA, Franklin Falls Dam, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 148 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
- December 2
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 61.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tilton
Half of springs at Franklin Falls Dam, NH see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 20 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 67% 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 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 15 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 7, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 148 days in a typical year, shorter than at 49% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 163 days one year in ten and falls short of 132 one year in ten. On average 174 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 20, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 20 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 14 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 29 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Franklin Falls Dam, 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 03276 →Compare Tilton with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Lakeport 2, NH, 9 miles northeast of Tilton, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 15 days later (October 18), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Tilton, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Tilton usually arrives around December 2, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lakeport 2, NH, 9.1 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03276
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 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 03276 is 4 miles from Franklin Falls Dam, NH, which stands at 450 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03276 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.