New England Garden Calendar

Home / New Hampshire / Rochester Skyhaven AP

Frost dates for Rochester Skyhaven AP, NH

NOAA weather station USW00054791 at 323 ft elevation. Based on 21 years within 1991-2020. Last verified 2026-10-17.

Last spring freeze (32°F)

Apr 30

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

May 5 30% risk · May 13 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 9

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

Sep 27 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

161 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 25 / May 18 / May 12Sep 17 / Sep 30
32°F (freeze)May 13 / May 5 / Apr 30Sep 27 / Oct 9
28°F (hard freeze)Apr 29 / Apr 22 / Apr 17Oct 7 / Oct 23

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date Apr 26 and 90% date Apr 18 (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 USW00054791, 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.

UNH Extension says that for central New Hampshire, Memorial Day is a conservative estimate of the last frost date (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 10 – Mar 17Set out Mar 24 – Apr 14Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 24 – Mar 24Set out Apr 7 – Apr 21Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 24 – Mar 24Set out Apr 7 – Apr 21Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 24 – Mar 10Set out Apr 7Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 24 – Mar 10Set out Apr 7Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 24 – Mar 10Set out Apr 7Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 27 – Feb 10Set out Apr 7Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceMar 3 – Mar 17Set out Apr 7 – Apr 14Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 27 – Feb 10Set out Apr 7Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Apr 7 – Apr 21Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Apr 7 – Apr 21Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyFeb 3 – Feb 17Set out Apr 14 – Apr 21Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 10 – Mar 24Set out Apr 21Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 21 – Apr 28Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 10 – Mar 24Set out Apr 21; or sow Apr 7Start 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 5Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 10 – Feb 24Set out on/after May 5Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after May 5Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 14 – Apr 28Set out May 12 – May 19
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 12 – May 19Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 17 – Apr 7Set out May 12 – May 19Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 24 – Apr 7Set out May 19Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 10 – Mar 31Set out May 19 – May 26Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 21 – Apr 28Set out May 19Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 10 – Mar 24Set out May 19Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 21 – Apr 28Set out May 19
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 21 – Apr 28Set out May 19
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 21 – Apr 28Set out May 19
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 21 – Apr 28Set out May 19
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 9; there is a 10% chance of one before Sep 27. 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 Sep 30 and 10% date Sep 17. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Oct 23), 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 323 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