U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00193890 · Massachusetts

Frost Dates for Jamaica Plain, MA

NOAA weather station Jamaica Plain (USC00193890), Massachusetts · elevation 95 ft (29 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 3only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season185 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Jamaica Plain, MASpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 185 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 23Frost season at Jamaica Plain, MASpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 185 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 23
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 25 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 3October 8
50% (typical)April 19October 23
90% (likely)April 6November 5
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
185 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 5
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 3

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 14 (5 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 28 (5 days later). Frost-free season 195 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 Jamaica Plain: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 3, 20% April 28, 30% April 24, 40% April 21, 50% April 19, 60% April 16, 70% April 13, 80% April 10, 90% April 6. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 3, 2023 April 10, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 11, 2026 April 22.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 3Apr 19Apr 62021: April 232022: April 32023: April 102024: April 262025: April 112026: April 22Fall at Jamaica Plain: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 8, 20% October 12, 30% October 16, 40% October 20, 50% October 23, 60% October 25, 70% October 28, 80% November 1, 90% November 5. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 30, 2023 November 2, 2024 October 29, 2025 November 7.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 8Oct 23Nov 52021: November 42022: October 302023: November 22024: October 292025: 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 23November 4
2022April 3October 30
2023April 10November 2
2024April 26October 29
2025April 11November 7
2026April 22season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 6 in Jamaica Plain carries a 90 % chance that a light frost will still occur later, making that date a high-risk gamble for early planting.

The 50 % light-frost dates—April 19 in spring and October 23 in fall—mark the point at which a gardener has an even chance of seeing a frost either side of the date; they are not themselves frost dates. A cautious planting schedule uses the May 3 date, which has only a 10 % chance of a later frost, for tender crops in spring, and the October 8 date, also with a 10 % chance of an earlier frost, for finishing harvest in fall. The hard-frost median dates are April 5 and November 3, and a hard frost at 28 °F can cause more severe damage to plant tissue than a light frost at 32 °F.

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 8" 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 Jamaica Plain, MANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Blue Hill Coop, MA — 6 mi; 2 — near Boston, MA — 7 mi; 3 — Hingham, MA — 12 mi; 4 — Reading, MA — 15 mi; 5 — Marblehead, MA — 19 mi.MANHCTRIVT25 mi · 40 km1. Blue Hill Coop, MA — 6 mi12. near Boston, MA — 7 mi23. Hingham, MA — 12 mi34. Reading, MA — 15 mi45. Marblehead, MA — 19 mi5
  1. Blue Hill Coop, MA 6 mi (10 km)
  2. near Boston, MA 7 mi (11 km)
  3. Hingham, MA 12 mi (19 km)
  4. Reading, MA 15 mi (25 km)
  5. Marblehead, MA 19 mi (31 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 42.3031, -71.1242.