USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 03811 — Atkinson, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from W Hampstead, NH (288 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Atkinson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, W Hampstead, NH).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 162 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 3
- Last snow
- March 29
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 57.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Atkinson
Half of springs at W Hampstead, NH see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 14 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 25% of the 51 New Hampshire stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 11 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 150 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 13, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at W Hampstead, 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 03811 →Compare Atkinson with another place →
Weather by month in Atkinson
July is the warmest month at W Hampstead, NH, averaging 82°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 15°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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,437 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 67% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 30% of them (733) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 651. Precipitation totals 46.7 inches a year, most in October (4.9") and least in January (3.0"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 15 | 3.0 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 37 | 16 | 3.3 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 24 | 4.2 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 4.1 | 100% | 13 | 50 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 4.0 | 50% | 1 | 212 |
| Jun | 76 | 54 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 462 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 4.0 | 13% | <1 | 354 |
| Oct | 61 | 39 | 4.9 | 94% | 5 | 91 |
| Nov | 49 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 15 |
| Dec | 39 | 21 | 4.2 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at W Hampstead, NH (288 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, Haverhill, MA, 7 miles southeast of Atkinson and 268 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (May 1), a first frost 1 day later (October 12), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Atkinson, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Atkinson usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Haverhill, MA, 7.4 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03811
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 03811 is 6 miles from W Hampstead, NH, which stands at 288 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 03038 (Derry). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03811 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.