Massachusetts Frost Dates: Last and First Frost by Town
Across Massachusetts's 69 NOAA stations with regular frost, the median last spring frost is April 27 and the median first fall frost is October 14. Last frost dates range from April 4 at Boston Logan Intl Airport to May 17 at E Hawley, so enter your ZIP code below for the station nearest you.
How frost dates vary across Massachusetts
- Elevation matters: across Massachusetts's stations, each 1,000 ft of elevation delays the median last frost by about 13 days.
- North vs south: stations in the northern third of the state (north of 42.5°N) reach their median last frost about 9 days later than the southern third (south of 42.0°N).
- Safety margin: the median 10%-risk date (May 11) is about 14 days after the median last frost. Waiting until then cuts the chance of a killing frost on tender transplants from 1 in 2 to 1 in 10.
Frost dates at Massachusetts's major weather stations
These National Weather Service stations, mostly at airports, have the longest and most complete records in the state.
| Bedford Hanscom Field | 133 | Apr 28 | May 12 | Oct 10 | 165 |
| Beverly Municipal Airport | 108 | Apr 24 | May 6 | Oct 17 | 177 |
| Blue Hill | 625 | Apr 19 | May 1 | Oct 24 | 187 |
| Boston Logan Intl Airport | 12 | Apr 4 | Apr 17 | Nov 9 | 218 |
| Chatham Municipal Airport | 68 | Apr 13 | Apr 26 | Nov 4 | 206 |
| Fitchburg Municipal Airport | 348 | Apr 29 | May 13 | Oct 11 | 164 |
| Hyannis Barnstable Municipal Airport | 55 | Apr 22 | May 5 | Oct 28 | 188 |
| Lawrence Municipal Airport | 149 | Apr 21 | May 1 | Oct 21 | 182 |
| Nantucket Memorial Airport | 45 | Apr 13 | Apr 27 | Nov 8 | 208 |
| New Bedford Municipal Airport | 80 | Apr 29 | May 15 | Oct 15 | 167 |
| North Adams Harriman Airport | 654 | May 10 | May 25 | Oct 4 | 147 |
| Norwood Memorial Airport | 50 | Apr 25 | May 11 | Oct 9 | 167 |
| Orange Municipal Airport | 555 | May 4 | May 17 | Oct 8 | 157 |
| Pittsfield Municipal Airport | 1,194 | May 5 | May 21 | Oct 5 | 152 |
| Plymouth Municipal Airport | 149 | Apr 30 | May 12 | Oct 16 | 170 |
| Taunton Municipal Airport | 43 | May 2 | May 16 | Oct 8 | 158 |
| Vineyard Haven Airport | 68 | May 7 | May 27 | Oct 9 | 156 |
| Westfield Barnes Municipal Airport | 271 | May 3 | May 17 | Oct 8 | 158 |
| Worcester Regional Airport | 1,000 | Apr 23 | May 5 | Oct 21 | 181 |
All 69 stations in Massachusetts
Last frost and first frost are medians: a 50% chance of a 32°F night after (spring) or before (fall) that date. 10% risk is the spring date with only a 1-in-10 chance of a later frost. Click a column to sort.
| Amherst | 145 | May 5 | May 19 | Oct 8 | 156 |
| Ashburnham | 1,108 | May 2 | May 16 | Oct 13 | 163 |
| Ashburnham N | 1,146 | May 5 | May 19 | Oct 7 | 152 |
| Barre Falls Dam | 825 | May 12 | May 28 | Oct 1 | 141 |
| Bedford | 160 | Apr 27 | May 11 | Oct 13 | 169 |
| Bedford Hanscom Field | 133 | Apr 28 | May 12 | Oct 10 | 165 |
| Belchertown | 550 | May 3 | May 16 | Oct 14 | 164 |
| Beverly | 65 | May 4 | May 17 | Oct 12 | 160 |
| Beverly Municipal Airport | 108 | Apr 24 | May 6 | Oct 17 | 177 |
| Birch Hill Dam | 855 | May 6 | May 19 | Oct 1 | 148 |
| Blue Hill | 625 | Apr 19 | May 1 | Oct 24 | 187 |
| Blue Hill Coop | 625 | Apr 18 | Apr 30 | Oct 26 | 190 |
| Boston Logan Intl Airport | 12 | Apr 4 | Apr 17 | Nov 9 | 218 |
| Bridgewater | 40 | May 1 | May 15 | Oct 9 | 161 |
| Brockton | 75 | Apr 22 | May 5 | Oct 19 | 178 |
| Buffumville Lake | 520 | May 1 | May 13 | Oct 10 | 162 |
| Chatham | 40 | Apr 5 | Apr 18 | Nov 15 | 221 |
| Chatham Municipal Airport | 68 | Apr 13 | Apr 26 | Nov 4 | 206 |
| E Brimfield Lake | 700 | Apr 28 | May 17 | Oct 15 | 169 |
| E Hawley | 1,647 | May 17 | May 30 | Oct 1 | 136 |
| E Sandwich | 150 | Apr 26 | May 9 | Oct 26 | 180 |
| E Wareham | 30 | Apr 21 | May 3 | Oct 24 | 186 |
| Edgartown | 30 | Apr 17 | May 3 | Nov 3 | 199 |
| Fitchburg Coop | 665 | May 1 | May 14 | Oct 9 | 162 |
| Fitchburg Municipal Airport | 348 | Apr 29 | May 13 | Oct 11 | 164 |
| Greenfield #3 | 130 | May 1 | May 15 | Oct 11 | 162 |
| Groveland | 30 | May 3 | May 17 | Oct 8 | 158 |
| Haverhill | 20 | May 1 | May 14 | Oct 12 | 163 |
| Hingham | 35 | Apr 25 | May 8 | Oct 22 | 177 |
| Hyannis | 60 | Apr 16 | Apr 30 | Oct 30 | 195 |
| Hyannis Barnstable Municipal Airport | 55 | Apr 22 | May 5 | Oct 28 | 188 |
| Jamaica Plain | 95 | Apr 19 | May 3 | Oct 23 | 185 |
| Lawrence | 50 | Apr 13 | Apr 29 | Oct 28 | 198 |
| Lawrence Municipal Airport | 149 | Apr 21 | May 1 | Oct 21 | 182 |
| Lenox Dale | 1,004 | May 7 | May 21 | Oct 3 | 147 |
| Leverett #2 | 315 | May 2 | May 16 | Oct 9 | 160 |
| Lowell | 110 | Apr 30 | May 10 | Oct 10 | 164 |
| Marblehead | 84 | Apr 25 | May 13 | Oct 20 | 176 |
| Maynard 2 | 205 | May 2 | May 16 | Oct 6 | 156 |
| Middleboro | 45 | Apr 23 | May 6 | Oct 16 | 174 |
| Middleton | 110 | May 3 | May 20 | Oct 9 | 157 |
| Nantucket Memorial Airport | 45 | Apr 13 | Apr 27 | Nov 8 | 208 |
| Natick | 180 | Apr 26 | May 9 | Oct 12 | 169 |
| New Bedford Coop | 18 | Apr 11 | Apr 22 | Nov 5 | 208 |
| New Bedford Municipal Airport | 80 | Apr 29 | May 15 | Oct 15 | 167 |
| North Adams Harriman Airport | 654 | May 10 | May 25 | Oct 4 | 147 |
| Norton W | 95 | Apr 27 | May 10 | Oct 15 | 168 |
| Norwood Memorial Airport | 50 | Apr 25 | May 11 | Oct 9 | 167 |
| NWS Boston/norton | 85 | Apr 23 | May 5 | Oct 17 | 177 |
| Orange Municipal Airport | 555 | May 4 | May 17 | Oct 8 | 157 |
| Pittsfield Municipal Airport | 1,194 | May 5 | May 21 | Oct 5 | 152 |
| Plymouth Municipal Airport | 149 | Apr 30 | May 12 | Oct 16 | 170 |
| Plymouth-kingston | 45 | Apr 15 | Apr 28 | Nov 1 | 198 |
| Reading | 110 | Apr 25 | May 8 | Oct 17 | 174 |
| Rochester | 65 | Apr 23 | May 7 | Oct 21 | 180 |
| Rowe 3NE | 1,735 | May 14 | May 26 | Oct 4 | 143 |
| Southbridge 3 SW | 685 | Apr 25 | May 8 | Oct 13 | 168 |
| Taunton | 20 | Apr 22 | May 6 | Oct 19 | 179 |
| Taunton Municipal Airport | 43 | May 2 | May 16 | Oct 8 | 158 |
| Tully Lake | 680 | Apr 25 | May 8 | Oct 17 | 175 |
| Vineyard Haven Airport | 68 | May 7 | May 27 | Oct 9 | 156 |
| W Harwich | 15 | Apr 13 | Apr 26 | Nov 3 | 204 |
| Walpole 2 | 170 | Apr 27 | May 11 | Oct 14 | 169 |
| West Medway | 210 | Apr 30 | May 14 | Oct 9 | 162 |
| Westfield 3 SW | 430 | Apr 28 | May 11 | Oct 17 | 171 |
| Westfield Barnes Municipal Airport | 271 | May 3 | May 17 | Oct 8 | 158 |
| Woods Hole Golf Club | 80 | Apr 11 | Apr 24 | Nov 11 | 213 |
| Worcester Regional Airport | 1,000 | Apr 23 | May 5 | Oct 21 | 181 |
| Worthington | 1,285 | May 13 | May 26 | Oct 2 | 144 |
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in Massachusetts?
The median last spring frost (32°F) across Massachusetts's NOAA weather stations is April 27, based on 1991–2020 climate normals. It ranges from April 4 at Boston Logan Intl Airport to May 17 at E Hawley. For a safer planting date, use the 10%-risk date; the state median for that is May 11.
When is the first frost in Massachusetts?
The median first fall frost across Massachusetts's stations is October 14. The earliest median first frost is October 1 at Barre Falls Dam, and the latest is November 15 at Chatham.
How long is the growing season in Massachusetts?
The median frost-free season is 169 days across Massachusetts's stations, from 136 days at E Hawley to 221 days at Chatham.
When should I plant tomatoes in Massachusetts?
Plant tomatoes outdoors after your local last frost, ideally after the 10%-risk date when nights stay above 50°F. At a typical Massachusetts station that means starting seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before April 27 and transplanting from about May 11. Check your ZIP code, because dates vary by weeks across the state.
How to use these dates
Frost dates are 30-year averages from NOAA, not forecasts. Use them to plan seed starting and planting, then watch the 10-day forecast as the date approaches. Cold air settles in valleys and low spots, so a garden at the bottom of a slope can frost a week or more later in spring than the nearest station shows.
Ready to plan? The planting calendar by ZIP code turns these dates into start-indoors, transplant and sowing dates for 30 crops.
Sources and method
Dates are the 32°F freeze probabilities published in the NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for each station. Station names are NOAA's, lightly expanded for readability. See the methodology or download the full table.
Frost dates in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
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- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
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- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
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