USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 05363 — Wilmington, Vermont
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rowe 3NE, MA (1,735 ft), 11 miles south.
Updated
In Wilmington, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 14 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 143 days (NOAA, Rowe 3NE, MA).
- Last spring frost
- May 14
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 143 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 7
- Last snow
- April 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 130.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wilmington
Half of springs at Rowe 3NE, MA see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by April 30, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 26 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 85% of the 41 Vermont 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 20 one year in ten, and holds off past October 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 143 days in a typical year, shorter than at 44% of the 41 Vermont stations; it reaches 161 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 162 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 11 days longer, to about May 25, and return around September 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 10 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 27 | May 29 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 3 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 20 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rowe 3NE, MA, 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 05363 →Compare Wilmington with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Sunderland 2, VT, 19 miles northwest of Wilmington and 835 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 13), a first frost 5 days earlier (September 29), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Wilmington, Vermont
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wilmington usually arrives around November 7, and the last of the season around April 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at West Wardsboro, VT, 10.1 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 05363
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 5 – March 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 16 – April 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 14 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 05363 is 11 miles from Rowe 3NE, MA, which stands at 1,735 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 05301 (Brattleboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 05363 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.
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.