USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 06232 — Andover, Connecticut
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Storrs, CT (665 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Andover, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Storrs, CT).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 186 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 5
- Last snow
- March 23
- Winters with snow
- 92%
- Snow per year
- 39"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Andover
Half of springs at Storrs, CT see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 54% of the 28 Connecticut stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 28 Connecticut stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 123 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 3, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Storrs, 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 06232 →Compare Andover with another place →
Weather by month in Andover
July is the warmest month at Storrs, CT, averaging 81°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 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,683 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 28 Connecticut stations. 31% of them (823) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 671. Precipitation totals 49.3 inches a year, most in October (4.6") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 19 | 3.7 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Feb | 37 | 20 | 3.0 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 28 | 4.4 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
| Apr | 57 | 38 | 4.2 | 99% | 7 | 71 |
| May | 68 | 48 | 3.7 | 15% | <1 | 252 |
| Jun | 76 | 57 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 490 |
| Jul | 81 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Aug | 79 | 61 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 620 |
| Sep | 73 | 54 | 4.5 | 3% | 0 | 404 |
| Oct | 61 | 43 | 4.6 | 76% | 3 | 133 |
| Nov | 50 | 34 | 3.9 | 100% | 13 | 28 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 4.5 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Storrs, CT (665 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, Willimantic Windham Airport, CT, 10 miles east of Andover and 418 feet lower, has a last frost 9 days later (April 28), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 13), a season 19 days shorter.
When it snows in Andover, Connecticut
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Andover usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Storrs, CT, 8.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 92% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 06232
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 8 – February 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 06232 is 8 miles from Storrs, CT, which stands at 665 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 06084 (Tolland). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 06232 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.