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Frost dates for Massabesic Lake, NH

NOAA weather station USC00275211 at 253 ft elevation. Based on 27 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 4 30% risk · May 14 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 11

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 24 / May 17 / May 12Sep 20 / Oct 2
32°F (freeze)May 14 / May 4 / Apr 30Sep 30 / Oct 11
28°F (hard freeze)May 2 / Apr 23 / Apr 17Oct 8 / Oct 24

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 USC00275211, 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 9 – Mar 16Set out Mar 23 – Apr 13Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 23 – Mar 23Set out Apr 6 – Apr 20Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 23 – Mar 23Set out Apr 6 – Apr 20Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 23 – Mar 9Set out Apr 6Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 23 – Mar 9Set out Apr 6Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 23 – Mar 9Set out Apr 6Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 26 – Feb 9Set out Apr 6Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceMar 2 – Mar 16Set out Apr 6 – Apr 13Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 26 – Feb 9Set out Apr 6Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Apr 6 – Apr 20Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Apr 6 – Apr 20Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyFeb 2 – Feb 16Set out Apr 13 – Apr 20Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 9 – Mar 23Set out Apr 20Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 20 – Apr 27Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 9 – Mar 23Set out Apr 20; or sow Apr 6Start 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 4Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 9 – Feb 23Set out on/after May 4Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after May 4Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 13 – Apr 27Set out May 11 – May 18
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 11 – May 18Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 16 – Apr 6Set out May 11 – May 18Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 23 – Apr 6Set out May 18Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 9 – Mar 30Set out May 18 – May 25Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 20 – Apr 27Set out May 18Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 9 – Mar 23Set out May 18Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 20 – Apr 27Set out May 18
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 20 – Apr 27Set out May 18
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 20 – Apr 27Set out May 18
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 20 – Apr 27Set out May 18
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 11; 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 2 and 10% date Sep 20. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Oct 24), 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 253 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.

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