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Frost dates for Greenfield #3, MA

NOAA weather station USC00193229 at 130 ft elevation. Based on 12 years within 1991-2020. Last verified 2026-10-17.

Last spring freeze (32°F)

May 1

median: freeze still happened after this date in half of years

May 6 30% risk · May 15 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 11

median: a freeze had happened by this date in half of years

Sep 29 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

162 days

median length between last spring and first fall 32°F freeze

How to read these dates

Spring: a "10% risk" date means NOAA's 1991-2020 data put the chance of a 32°F or colder night after that date at 10%. The "30% risk" date is the convention used by some popular frost calculators (the Old Farmer's Almanac says it uses a 30% probability threshold, source). Fall: a "10%" date means a 10% chance the first freeze comes before it. Source: NOAA readme.

Full table for this station

ThresholdSpring: latest-freeze date at risk of 10% / 30% / 50%Fall: first-freeze date at chance of 10% / 50%
36°F (frost possible)May 28 / May 19 / May 13Sep 19 / Oct 1
32°F (freeze)May 15 / May 6 / May 1Sep 29 / Oct 11
28°F (hard freeze)May 4 / Apr 23 / Apr 18Oct 8 / Oct 25

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date Apr 26 and 90% date Apr 19 (frost still likely after these early dates). Data quality: Representative: 10+ years of qualifying data, missing months filled from nearby stations. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USC00193229, read 2026-10-17.

Is Memorial Day safe here?

Many New England gardeners wait for Memorial Day (it falls between May 25 and May 31). At this station, NOAA's chance of a 32°F or colder night after May 25 is under 10%, and after May 31 is under 10%. Your own spot may differ. See all stations.

UMass Extension says that in many areas of Massachusetts the last frost date is usually around May 15 (read 2026-10-17).

Your planting schedule

Pick how cautious you want to be. The dates apply UNH Extension's per-crop rules (UNH fact sheet, read 2026-10-17) to this station's last-freeze date. UNH's sheet does not say which probability its "last frost" means, so you choose. These are planning dates, not instructions; follow your seed packet and the weather.

Last-frost reference date

Showing the schedule for the 2027 season (dates repeat yearly). Table below defaults to Typical; it updates when you choose.

CropStart seeds indoorsOutdoorsUNH Extension rule used
SpinachFeb 11 – Mar 18Set out Mar 25 – Apr 15Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 25 – Mar 25Set out Apr 8 – Apr 22Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 25 – Mar 25Set out Apr 8 – Apr 22Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 25 – Mar 11Set out Apr 8Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 25 – Mar 11Set out Apr 8Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 25 – Mar 11Set out Apr 8Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 28 – Feb 11Set out Apr 8Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceMar 4 – Mar 18Set out Apr 8 – Apr 15Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 28 – Feb 11Set out Apr 8Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Apr 8 – Apr 22Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Apr 8 – Apr 22Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyFeb 4 – Feb 18Set out Apr 15 – Apr 22Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 11 – Mar 25Set out Apr 22Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 22 – Apr 29Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 11 – Mar 25Set out Apr 22; or sow Apr 8Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost; or sow seed 4 wk before last frost.
Bean—Sow on/after May 6Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 11 – Feb 25Set out on/after May 6Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after May 6Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 15 – Apr 29Set out May 13 – May 20
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Sweet potato—Plant slips May 13 – May 20Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 18 – Apr 8Set out May 13 – May 20Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 25 – Apr 8Set out May 20Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 11 – Apr 1Set out May 20 – May 27Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 22 – Apr 29Set out May 20Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 11 – Mar 25Set out May 20Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 22 – Apr 29Set out May 20
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Summer squashApr 22 – Apr 29Set out May 20
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Winter squashApr 22 – Apr 29Set out May 20
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
ZucchiniApr 22 – Apr 29Set out May 20
Direct sow when soil reaches 70°F		Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost; or sow when soil warms to 70°F.
Rutabaga—Sow Jun 15 – Jul 15Sow seed in garden mid-June to mid-July (fixed dates, not tied to frost).
Beet—Sow when soil reaches 45°F (use a soil thermometer)Sow seed in garden when soil warms to 45°F.
Carrot—Sow when soil reaches 60°F (use a soil thermometer)Sow seed in garden when soil warms to 60°F.
Corn—Sow when soil reaches 60°F (use a soil thermometer)Sow seed in garden when soil warms to 60°F.
Pea—Sow as soon as soil thawsSow seed in garden as soon as soil thaws.

Fall: when the garden ends

At this station the median first 32°F freeze is Oct 11; there is a 10% chance of one before Sep 29. Tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) can be damaged at 33-36°F (Almanac.com notes some plants are damaged in that range); the 36°F first-frost date here is median Oct 1 and 10% date Sep 19. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Oct 25), and that row covers can extend the season. UNH: Fall vegetable gardening, read 2026-10-17.

Your garden is not the weather station

This station sits at 130 ft. UNH Extension says first-freeze dates vary "even between relatively close locations, based on factors such as elevation" (source), and notes that gardeners who keep garden journals can use their own records. Gardeners on Reddit describe the same thing: elevation and cold spots change when they can plant (for example r/vermont). Treat these dates as a starting point.

Nearby stations