USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 03784 — West Lebanon, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lebanon Municipal Airport, NH (598 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In West Lebanon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 148 days (NOAA, Lebanon Municipal Airport, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 148 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 West Lebanon
Half of springs at Lebanon Municipal Airport, NH see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 24. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 20 20%, and after May 24 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 6 in half of years, as early as September 23 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 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 167 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 163 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 22, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 22 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 |
| 28°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lebanon 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 03784 →Compare West Lebanon with another place →
Weather by month in West Lebanon
July is the warmest month at Lebanon Municipal Airport, NH, averaging 83°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°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 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,364 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 31% of them (736) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 628. Precipitation totals 38.0 inches a year, most in July (4.0") and least in February (2.1"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 9 | 2.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 11 | 2.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 21 | 2.7 | 100% | 27 | 5 |
| Apr | 57 | 32 | 3.0 | 100% | 17 | 45 |
| May | 70 | 44 | 3.3 | 80% | 3 | 232 |
| Jun | 78 | 52 | 3.8 | 3% | <1 | 455 |
| Jul | 83 | 58 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Aug | 81 | 56 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Sep | 73 | 49 | 3.4 | 27% | <1 | 329 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 4.0 | 99% | 10 | 84 |
| Nov | 47 | 28 | 3.0 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 36 | 18 | 2.8 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lebanon Municipal Airport, NH (598 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, Hanover, NH, 4 miles north of West Lebanon, has a last frost 8 days earlier (May 1), a first frost 7 days later (October 13), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in West Lebanon, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Lebanon 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, 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03784
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 03784 is 2 miles from Lebanon Municipal Airport, NH, which stands at 598 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 03766 (Lebanon). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03784 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.