USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 03861 — Lee, New Hampshire
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Durham 2 SSW, NH (63 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Lee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 150 days (NOAA, Durham 2 SSW, NH).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 150 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 5
- Last snow
- March 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lee
Half of springs at Durham 2 SSW, NH see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 19 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 88% of the 51 New Hampshire stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 23 one year in ten, and holds off past October 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 7, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 150 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 51 New Hampshire stations; it reaches 168 days one year in ten and falls short of 131 one year in ten. On average 155 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 May 19, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 19 | May 22 | May 24 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 21 |
| 28°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Durham 2 SSW, 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 03861 →Compare Lee with another place →
Weather by month in Lee
July is the warmest month at Durham 2 SSW, NH, averaging 81°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 14°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,240 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 51 New Hampshire stations. 29% of them (656) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 611. Precipitation totals 47.2 inches a year, most in March (4.6") and least in January (3.4"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 14 | 3.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 36 | 16 | 3.5 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 24 | 4.6 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 4.0 | 100% | 14 | 45 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 3.8 | 75% | 2 | 182 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 4.0 | 1% | 0 | 423 |
| Jul | 81 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 564 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 4.0 | 30% | 1 | 312 |
| Oct | 60 | 39 | 4.3 | 98% | 8 | 85 |
| Nov | 48 | 29 | 4.0 | 100% | 20 | 12 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 4.4 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Durham 2 SSW, NH (63 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, Durham, NH, 4 miles northeast of Lee, has a last frost 1 day later (May 8), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Lee, New Hampshire
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lee usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Durham, NH, 4.3 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 48 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 03861
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 03861 is 3 miles from Durham 2 SSW, NH, which stands at 63 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 03857 (Newmarket). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 03861 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.