USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 05464 — Jeffersonville, Vermont
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Johnson 2 N, VT (980 ft), 7 miles east.
Updated
In Jeffersonville, 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 1, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 142 days (NOAA, Johnson 2 N, VT).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 142 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 8
- Last snow
- April 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 139.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Jeffersonville
Half of springs at Johnson 2 N, VT 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 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 24 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 24% of the 41 Vermont stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 1 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 13; 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 142 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 41 Vermont stations; it reaches 162 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 177 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 15 days longer, to about May 24, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 18 and April 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 9 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 7 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 28°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Johnson 2 N, VT, 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 05464 →Compare Jeffersonville with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Mt Mansfield, VT, 8 miles south of Jeffersonville and 2,970 feet higher, has a last frost 14 days later (May 23), a first frost 1 day earlier (September 30), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Jeffersonville, Vermont
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Jeffersonville usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around April 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Jeffersonville, VT, 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 05464
| 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 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 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 05464 is 7 miles from Johnson 2 N, VT, which stands at 980 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 05656 (Johnson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 05464 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.