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USDA Hardiness Zone 5a

Frost Dates for 05759 — North Clarendon, Vermont

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rutland, VT (620 ft), 5 miles north.

Updated

In North Clarendon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 15 in half of years and has passed by May 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 27, as early as September 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 132 days (NOAA, Rutland, VT).

Last spring frost
May 15

50% probability

First fall frost
September 27

50% probability

Growing season
132 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
5a

-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night

First snow
November 11

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 8

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

30 of 30 observed

Snow per year
74.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in North Clarendon

Half of springs at Rutland, VT see their last 32°F night by May 15; only one in ten is past it by May 1, and one in ten still has one after May 31. Planting tender crops after May 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 25 20%, and after May 31 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 September 27 in half of years, as early as September 13 one year in ten, and holds off past October 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 132 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 41 Vermont stations; it reaches 151 days one year in ten and falls short of 112 one year in ten. On average 164 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 29, and return around September 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and April 1.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 13May 19May 22May 26May 29May 31Jun 3Jun 6Jun 10
32°FMay 1May 5May 8May 12May 15May 18May 22May 25May 31
28°FApr 22Apr 25Apr 28Apr 30May 2May 4May 7May 12May 16
24°FApr 6Apr 11Apr 16Apr 19Apr 21Apr 23Apr 26Apr 30May 4
20°FMar 30Apr 2Apr 4Apr 6Apr 9Apr 12Apr 15Apr 18Apr 21
16°FMar 18Mar 24Mar 28Mar 31Apr 1Apr 3Apr 5Apr 9Apr 14
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 4Sep 8Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 25Sep 29
32°FSep 13Sep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
28°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 21
24°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 4
20°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11Nov 16
16°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rutland, 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 05759 →Compare North Clarendon with another place →

Weather by month in North Clarendon

July is the warmest month at Rutland, VT, averaging 80°F by day and 56°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 2,056 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 59% of the 41 Vermont stations. 32% of them (649) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 569. Precipitation totals 40.4 inches a year, most in July (4.6") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rutland, VT
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan2982.7100%300
Feb3292.2100%270
Mar41182.7100%273
Apr55313.1100%1638
May68423.690%3196
Jun76524.38%<1412
Jul80564.60%0569
Aug78544.00%0504
Sep71463.466%1265
Oct58354.0100%1059
Nov46262.8100%219
Dec35163.0100%280

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rutland, VT (620 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, Cavendish, VT, 22 miles southeast of North Clarendon and 222 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day later (May 16), a first frost 2 days later (September 29), a season 4 days longer.

Frost dates for 05149 (Ludlow) →

When it snows in North Clarendon, Vermont

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in North Clarendon usually arrives around November 11, and the last of the season around April 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Rutland, VT, 5 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 37 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 05759

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for North Clarendon, Vermont
WhenWhat to do
March 6 – March 20Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 20 – April 3Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 17 – May 1Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 15 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 5Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 13Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 27 onwardPlant 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 05759 is 5 miles from Rutland, VT, which stands at 620 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 05701 (Rutland). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 05759 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 Vermont →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 5a places in Vermont