USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 03814 — Center Ossipee, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tamworth 4, NH (541 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Center Ossipee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 16 in half of years and has passed by May 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 26, as early as September 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 129 days (NOAA, Tamworth 4, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 16
- First fall frost
- September 26
- Growing season
- 129 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 14
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 83"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Center Ossipee
Half of springs at Tamworth 4, NH see their last 32°F night by May 16; only one in ten is past it by May 3, and one in ten still has one after May 30. Planting tender crops after May 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 26 20%, and after May 30 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 September 26 in half of years, as early as September 10 one year in ten, and holds off past October 7 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 19, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 129 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 148 days one year in ten and falls short of 110 one year in ten. On average 185 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 29, and return around September 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 17 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 15 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 11 |
| 32°F | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 16 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 |
| 28°F | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 20°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 16°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 1 | Sep 5 | Sep 8 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 |
| 32°F | Sep 10 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 28°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 20 |
| 24°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 20°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tamworth 4, 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 03814 →Compare Center Ossipee with another place →
Weather by month in Center Ossipee
July is the warmest month at Tamworth 4, NH, averaging 78°F by day and 55°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 8°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,758 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 30% of them (521) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 511. Precipitation totals 52.3 inches a year, most in October (5.7") and least in February (3.3"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 8 | 3.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 8 | 3.3 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 17 | 4.0 | 100% | 30 | 2 |
| Apr | 53 | 29 | 4.6 | 100% | 22 | 24 |
| May | 66 | 40 | 3.8 | 94% | 4 | 146 |
| Jun | 74 | 50 | 4.6 | 8% | <1 | 350 |
| Jul | 78 | 55 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 511 |
| Aug | 77 | 53 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 456 |
| Sep | 70 | 44 | 4.3 | 67% | 2 | 227 |
| Oct | 57 | 34 | 5.7 | 100% | 13 | 40 |
| Nov | 45 | 25 | 4.6 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
| Dec | 34 | 15 | 4.9 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tamworth 4, NH (541 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, E Sandwich, NH, 11 miles west of Center Ossipee and 151 feet higher, has a last frost 10 days earlier (May 6), a first frost 10 days later (October 6), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Center Ossipee usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tamworth 4, NH, 9.6 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03814
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 7 – March 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 18 – May 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 16 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 03814 is 10 miles from Tamworth 4, NH, which stands at 541 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03814 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.