USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 05673 — Waitsfield, Vermont
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Waitsfield 2 SE, VT (1,142 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Waitsfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 142 days (NOAA, Waitsfield 2 SE, VT).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- 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 6
- Last snow
- April 14
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 117.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Waitsfield
Half of springs at Waitsfield 2 SE, VT see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 21 20%, and after May 27 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 78% 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 18 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 13, 14 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 121 one year in ten. On average 167 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 14 days longer, to about May 25, and return around September 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 10 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 7 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 27 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 |
| 32°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Waitsfield 2 SE, 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 05673 →Compare Waitsfield with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Northfield, VT, 9 miles east of Waitsfield and 472 feet lower, has a last frost 7 days later (May 18), a first frost 3 days earlier (September 28), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Waitsfield, Vermont
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Waitsfield usually arrives around November 6, and the last of the season around April 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Waitsfield 2 W, VT, 2.1 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 05673
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 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 05673 is 2 miles from Waitsfield 2 SE, VT, which stands at 1,142 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 05673 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.