New England Garden Calendar

Home / Massachusetts / Taunton

Frost dates for Taunton, MA

NOAA weather station USC00198367 at 20 ft elevation. Based on 17 years within 1991-2020. Last verified 2026-10-17.

Last spring freeze (32°F)

Apr 22

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

Apr 28 30% risk · May 6 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 19

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

Oct 4 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

179 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 18 / May 9 / May 4Sep 27 / Oct 8
32°F (freeze)May 6 / Apr 28 / Apr 22Oct 4 / Oct 19
28°F (hard freeze)Apr 22 / Apr 15 / Apr 8Oct 16 / Nov 1

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date Apr 17 and 90% date Apr 10 (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 USC00198367, 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 3 – Mar 10Set out Mar 17 – Apr 7Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 17 – Mar 17Set out Mar 31 – Apr 14Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 17 – Mar 17Set out Mar 31 – Apr 14Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 17 – Mar 3Set out Mar 31Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 17 – Mar 3Set out Mar 31Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 17 – Mar 3Set out Mar 31Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 20 – Feb 3Set out Mar 31Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceFeb 24 – Mar 10Set out Mar 31 – Apr 7Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 20 – Feb 3Set out Mar 31Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Mar 31 – Apr 14Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Mar 31 – Apr 14Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyJan 27 – Feb 10Set out Apr 7 – Apr 14Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 3 – Mar 17Set out Apr 14Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 14 – Apr 21Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 3 – Mar 17Set out Apr 14; or sow Mar 31Start 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 Apr 28Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 3 – Feb 17Set out on/after Apr 28Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after Apr 28Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 7 – Apr 21Set out May 5 – May 12
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 5 – May 12Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 10 – Mar 31Set out May 5 – May 12Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 17 – Mar 31Set out May 12Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 3 – Mar 24Set out May 12 – May 19Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 14 – Apr 21Set out May 12Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 3 – Mar 17Set out May 12Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 14 – Apr 21Set out May 12
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 14 – Apr 21Set out May 12
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 14 – Apr 21Set out May 12
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 14 – Apr 21Set out May 12
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 19; there is a 10% chance of one before Oct 4. 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 8 and 10% date Sep 27. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Nov 1), 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 20 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