U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00192501 · Massachusetts

Frost Dates for Edgartown, MA

NOAA weather station Edgartown (USC00192501), Massachusetts · elevation 30 ft (9 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 3only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season199 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Edgartown, MASpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 17 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 20 in 1 year out of 10, before November 3 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 199 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 17First frost ~Nov 3Frost season at Edgartown, MASpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 17 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 20 in 1 year out of 10, before November 3 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 199 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 17First frost ~Nov 3
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 3October 20
50% (typical)April 17November 3
90% (likely)April 4November 18
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
199 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 2
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 16

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 13 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 5 (2 days later). Frost-free season 206 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Edgartown: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 3, 20% April 27, 30% April 22, 40% April 20, 50% April 17, 60% April 14, 70% April 11, 80% April 8, 90% April 4. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 4, 2022 April 5, 2023 April 10, 2024 April 27, 2025 April 18, 2026 April 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 3Apr 17Apr 42021: April 42022: April 52023: April 102024: April 272025: April 182026: April 20Fall at Edgartown: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 20, 20% October 25, 30% October 28, 40% November 1, 50% November 3, 60% November 5, 70% November 8, 80% November 12, 90% November 18. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 6, 2022 November 15, 2023 November 3, 2024 November 10, 2025 November 7.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 20Nov 3Nov 182021: November 62022: November 152023: November 32024: November 102025: November 7
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 4November 6
2022April 5November 15
2023April 10November 3
2024April 27November 10
2025April 18November 7
2026April 20season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Edgartown for finishing the harvest is October 20, when there is only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived.

For a gardener, the 50% light-frost dates—April 17 in spring and November 3 in fall—mark the point at which the chance of frost is even. There is a 50% chance of a frost later than April 17 and a 50% chance of a frost earlier than November 3. Hard-frost median dates are April 2 in spring and November 16 in fall.

The cautious date for setting out tender crops in spring is May 3, with only a 10% chance of a frost later, while the gamble date is April 4 with a 90% chance. Hard frost matters more than light frost because a temperature of 28 °F can damage plants that survive a 32 °F light frost.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 3" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 20" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Edgartown, MANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Hyannis, MA — 22 mi; 2 — Chatham, MA — 34 mi; 3 — Rochester, MA — 34 mi; 4 — near Providence, RI — 53 mi; 5 — Kingston, RI — 54 mi.RI25 mi · 40 km1. Hyannis, MA — 22 mi12. Chatham, MA — 34 mi23. Rochester, MA — 34 mi34. near Providence, RI — 53 mi45. Kingston, RI — 54 mi5
  1. Hyannis, MA 22 mi (36 km)
  2. Chatham, MA 34 mi (55 km)
  3. Rochester, MA 34 mi (55 km)
  4. near Providence, RI 53 mi (85 km)
  5. Kingston, RI 54 mi (86 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.3853, -70.5181.