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USDA Hardiness Zone 4b

Frost Dates for 05855 — Newport, Vermont

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newport, VT (790 ft), 1 miles northeast.

Updated

In Newport, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 14 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 30, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 138 days (NOAA, Newport, VT).

Last spring frost
May 14

50% probability

First fall frost
September 30

50% probability

Growing season
138 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
4b

-25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°C) coldest night

First snow
November 7

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 12

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

29 of 29 observed

Snow per year
98.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Newport

Half of springs at Newport, VT see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by May 1, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 28 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 54% of the 41 Vermont stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 30 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 138 days in a typical year, shorter than at 68% of the 41 Vermont stations; it reaches 155 days one year in ten and falls short of 120 one year in ten. On average 171 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 13 days longer, to about May 27, and return around September 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and April 4.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newport, 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 05855 →Compare Newport with another place →

Weather by month in Newport

July is the warmest month at Newport, VT, averaging 78°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 4°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 90% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 1,880 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 41 Vermont stations. 30% of them (560) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 532. Precipitation totals 43.6 inches a year, most in June (4.5") and least in February (2.4"); May to September bring 49% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newport, VT
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan2342.8100%300
Feb2752.4100%270
Mar37152.8100%282
Apr51293.3100%1922
May65423.990%3163
Jun73524.56%0373
Jul78574.50%0532
Aug76554.40%0476
Sep69473.951%1256
Oct55364.3100%1151
Nov41253.4100%225
Dec29143.4100%290

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newport, VT (790 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, Jay Peak, VT, 15 miles west of Newport and 1,050 feet higher, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day later (October 1).

Frost dates for 05476 (Richford) →

When it snows in Newport, Vermont

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Newport usually arrives around November 7, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Newport, VT, 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 32 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 05855

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Newport, Vermont
WhenWhat to do
March 5 – March 19Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 19 – April 2Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 16 – April 30Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 14 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 8Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 16Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 30 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 05855 is 1 mile from Newport, VT, which stands at 790 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 05855 in zone 4b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°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 4b places in Vermont