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Frost dates for Lowell, MA

NOAA weather station USC00194313 at 110 ft elevation. Based on 28 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 3 30% risk · May 10 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 10

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

Sep 30 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

164 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 21 / May 14 / May 9Sep 21 / Oct 1
32°F (freeze)May 10 / May 3 / Apr 30Sep 30 / Oct 10
28°F (hard freeze)Apr 29 / Apr 22 / Apr 18Oct 9 / Oct 22

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date Apr 25 and 90% date Apr 19 (frost still likely after these early dates). Data quality: Standard: 24+ years of qualifying data. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USC00194313, 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 8 – Mar 15Set out Mar 22 – Apr 12Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 22 – Mar 22Set out Apr 5 – Apr 19Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 22 – Mar 22Set out Apr 5 – Apr 19Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 22 – Mar 8Set out Apr 5Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 22 – Mar 8Set out Apr 5Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 22 – Mar 8Set out Apr 5Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 25 – Feb 8Set out Apr 5Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceMar 1 – Mar 15Set out Apr 5 – Apr 12Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 25 – Feb 8Set out Apr 5Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Apr 5 – Apr 19Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Apr 5 – Apr 19Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyFeb 1 – Feb 15Set out Apr 12 – Apr 19Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 8 – Mar 22Set out Apr 19Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 19 – Apr 26Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 8 – Mar 22Set out Apr 19; or sow Apr 5Start 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 3Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 8 – Feb 22Set out on/after May 3Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after May 3Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 12 – Apr 26Set out May 10 – May 17
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 10 – May 17Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 15 – Apr 5Set out May 10 – May 17Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 22 – Apr 5Set out May 17Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 8 – Mar 29Set out May 17 – May 24Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 19 – Apr 26Set out May 17Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 8 – Mar 22Set out May 17Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 19 – Apr 26Set out May 17
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 19 – Apr 26Set out May 17
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 19 – Apr 26Set out May 17
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 19 – Apr 26Set out May 17
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 10; there is a 10% chance of one before Sep 30. 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 21. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Oct 22), 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 110 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