USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 03581 — Gorham, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gorham Airport, NH (800 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Gorham, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 14 in half of years and has passed by May 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 26, as early as September 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 133 days (NOAA, Gorham Airport, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 14
- First fall frost
- September 26
- Growing season
- 133 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 12
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 82"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gorham
Half of springs at Gorham Airport, NH see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by May 2, and one in ten still has one after May 29. Planting tender crops after May 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 24 20%, and after May 29 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 September 26 in half of years, as early as September 11 one year in ten, and holds off past October 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 133 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 149 days one year in ten and falls short of 113 one year in ten. On average 181 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 15 days longer, to about May 29, and return around September 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and April 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 7 | Jun 13 |
| 32°F | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 | May 29 |
| 28°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 1 | Sep 4 | Sep 7 | Sep 10 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 |
| 32°F | Sep 11 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 |
| 28°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 21 |
| 24°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gorham 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 03581 →Compare Gorham with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Berlin, NH, 5 miles north of Gorham, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 4 days later (September 30), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Gorham, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Gorham usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Berlin, NH, 4.8 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 03581
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 5 – March 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 16 – April 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 26 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 03581 is 2 miles from Gorham Airport, NH, which stands at 800 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03581 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.