USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 06082 — Enfield, Connecticut
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT (190 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In Enfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 177 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 2
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 51.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Enfield
Half of springs at Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% of the 28 Connecticut stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 28 Connecticut stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 126 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 5, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT, 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 06082 →Compare Enfield with another place →
Weather by month in Enfield
July is the warmest month at Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,069 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 28 Connecticut stations. 32% of them (992) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 753. Precipitation totals 47.1 inches a year, most in October (4.5") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 19 | 3.3 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 3.1 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 47 | 28 | 3.8 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| Apr | 61 | 38 | 3.9 | 99% | 7 | 93 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 3.8 | 21% | <1 | 318 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 4.4 | 3% | <1 | 444 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 4.5 | 86% | 4 | 152 |
| Nov | 52 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 15 | 28 |
| Dec | 41 | 25 | 4.1 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT (190 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, Westfield Barnes Municipal Airport, MA, 14 miles northwest of Enfield, has a last frost 12 days later (May 3), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 8), a season 19 days shorter.
When it snows in Enfield, Connecticut
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Enfield usually arrives around December 2, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT, 7 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 21 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 06082
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 06082 is 7 miles from Hartford Bradley International Airport, CT, which stands at 190 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 06082 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Connecticut →
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.