USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 03748 — Enfield, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Grafton, NH (830 ft), 9 miles east.
Updated
In Enfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 21 in half of years and has passed by June 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 26, as early as September 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 127 days (NOAA, Grafton, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 21
- First fall frost
- September 26
- Growing season
- 127 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 19
- Last snow
- April 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 60.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Enfield
Half of springs at Grafton, NH see their last 32°F night by May 21; only one in ten is past it by May 7, and one in ten still has one after June 5. Planting tender crops after May 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 31 20%, and after June 5 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 12 one year in ten, and holds off past October 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 23, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 127 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 145 days one year in ten and falls short of 107 one year in ten. On average 199 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 June 2, and return around September 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and April 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 20 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 5 | Jun 8 | Jun 11 | Jun 17 |
| 32°F | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 5 |
| 28°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 24°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 20°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 16°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 31 | Sep 4 | Sep 7 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 29 |
| 32°F | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 28°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 24°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 2 |
| 20°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 16°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Grafton, 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 03748 →Compare Enfield with another place →
Weather by month in Enfield
July is the warmest month at Grafton, NH, averaging 80°F by day and 54°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 7°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,846 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 30% of them (546) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 521. Precipitation totals 40.2 inches a year, most in October (4.5") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 7 | 2.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 7 | 2.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 17 | 3.1 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Apr | 54 | 28 | 3.2 | 100% | 23 | 25 |
| May | 66 | 40 | 3.2 | 97% | 9 | 147 |
| Jun | 75 | 50 | 4.2 | 18% | 1 | 373 |
| Jul | 80 | 54 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 521 |
| Aug | 78 | 53 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 480 |
| Sep | 71 | 45 | 3.2 | 66% | 5 | 253 |
| Oct | 58 | 33 | 4.5 | 99% | 20 | 42 |
| Nov | 45 | 25 | 3.1 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Dec | 34 | 15 | 3.0 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Grafton, NH (830 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, Lebanon Municipal Airport, NH, 9 miles west of Enfield and 232 feet lower, has a last frost 12 days earlier (May 9), a first frost 10 days later (October 6), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in Enfield, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Enfield usually arrives around November 19, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hanover, NH, 10.3 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 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03748
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 12 – March 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 23 – May 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 21 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 03748 is 9 miles from Grafton, NH, which stands at 830 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 03222 (Bristol). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03748 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.