USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 06763 — Morris, Connecticut
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bakersville, CT (686 ft), 15 miles northeast.
Updated
In Morris, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 151 days (NOAA, Bakersville, CT).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 151 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 30
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 46.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Morris
Half of springs at Bakersville, CT see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 22 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 5 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 151 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 28 Connecticut stations; it reaches 171 days one year in ten and falls short of 132 one year in ten. On average 158 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 11 days longer, to about May 19, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 4 | May 10 | May 14 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 21 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bakersville, 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 06763 →Compare Morris with another place →
Weather by month in Morris
July is the warmest month at Bakersville, CT, averaging 82°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 15°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 73% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,345 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 28 Connecticut stations. 32% of them (743) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 618. Precipitation totals 54.3 inches a year, most in October (5.4") and least in February (3.5"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 15 | 3.9 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 37 | 16 | 3.5 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 4.6 | 100% | 27 | 7 |
| Apr | 59 | 33 | 4.4 | 100% | 15 | 56 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 4.1 | 73% | 3 | 226 |
| Jun | 77 | 53 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 452 |
| Jul | 82 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 618 |
| Aug | 80 | 56 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 560 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 5.0 | 25% | 1 | 326 |
| Oct | 60 | 38 | 5.4 | 96% | 9 | 84 |
| Nov | 49 | 29 | 4.2 | 100% | 21 | 13 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 5.0 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bakersville, CT (686 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, Burlington, CT, 16 miles northeast of Morris and 181 feet lower, has a last frost 13 days earlier (April 25), a first frost 13 days later (October 18), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in Morris, Connecticut
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Morris usually arrives around November 30, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Woodbury, CT, 9.7 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 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 06763
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 06763 is 15 miles from Bakersville, CT, which stands at 686 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 06790 (Torrington). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 06763 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.