USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 03743 — Claremont, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newport, NH (770 ft), 8 miles east.
Updated
In Claremont, 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 October 1, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 140 days (NOAA, Newport, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 14
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 140 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 18
- Last snow
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 66.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Claremont
Half of springs at Newport, NH see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by April 30, 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 23 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 October 1 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 17, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 140 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 158 days one year in ten and falls short of 121 one year in ten. On average 186 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 27, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 18 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 12 | May 17 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 8 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 29 |
| 28°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 20°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 6 | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newport, 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 03743 →Compare Claremont with another place →
Weather by month in Claremont
July is the warmest month at Newport, NH, averaging 80°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 9°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 88% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,021 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 30% of them (601) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 566. Precipitation totals 42.0 inches a year, most in October (4.9") and least in February (2.4"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 9 | 2.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 10 | 2.4 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 19 | 3.0 | 100% | 29 | 3 |
| Apr | 54 | 31 | 3.3 | 100% | 21 | 28 |
| May | 66 | 42 | 3.3 | 88% | 6 | 172 |
| Jun | 75 | 52 | 4.2 | 6% | <1 | 398 |
| Jul | 80 | 56 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Aug | 79 | 54 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 510 |
| Sep | 71 | 47 | 3.5 | 44% | 2 | 279 |
| Oct | 58 | 36 | 4.9 | 100% | 15 | 59 |
| Nov | 46 | 27 | 3.2 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Dec | 35 | 17 | 3.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newport, NH (770 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, N Springfield Lake, VT, 9 miles west of Claremont and 210 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (May 9), a first frost 1 day later (October 2), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Claremont, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Claremont usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Newport, NH, 8.1 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03743
| 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 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 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 03743 is 8 miles from Newport, NH, which stands at 770 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03743 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.