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Frost dates for Manchester AP, NH

NOAA weather station USW00014710 at 225 ft elevation. Based on 23 years within 1991-2020. Last verified 2026-10-17.

Last spring freeze (32°F)

Apr 21

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

Apr 27 30% risk · May 6 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 19

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

Oct 4 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

180 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 19 / May 9 / May 4Sep 28 / Oct 7
32°F (freeze)May 6 / Apr 27 / Apr 21Oct 4 / Oct 19
28°F (hard freeze)Apr 21 / Apr 13 / Apr 7Oct 16 / Nov 1

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date Apr 16 and 90% date Apr 8 (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 USW00014710, 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 2 – Mar 9Set out Mar 16 – Apr 6Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 16 – Mar 16Set out Mar 30 – Apr 13Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 16 – Mar 16Set out Mar 30 – Apr 13Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 16 – Mar 2Set out Mar 30Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 16 – Mar 2Set out Mar 30Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 16 – Mar 2Set out Mar 30Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 19 – Feb 2Set out Mar 30Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceFeb 23 – Mar 9Set out Mar 30 – Apr 6Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 19 – Feb 2Set out Mar 30Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Mar 30 – Apr 13Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Mar 30 – Apr 13Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyJan 26 – Feb 9Set out Apr 6 – Apr 13Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerMar 2 – Mar 16Set out Apr 13Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 13 – Apr 20Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardMar 2 – Mar 16Set out Apr 13; or sow Mar 30Start 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 Apr 27Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryFeb 2 – Feb 16Set out on/after Apr 27Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after Apr 27Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 6 – Apr 20Set out May 4 – May 11
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 4 – May 11Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 9 – Mar 30Set out May 4 – May 11Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 16 – Mar 30Set out May 11Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantMar 2 – Mar 23Set out May 11 – May 18Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 13 – Apr 20Set out May 11Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperMar 2 – Mar 16Set out May 11Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 13 – Apr 20Set out May 11
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 13 – Apr 20Set out May 11
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 13 – Apr 20Set out May 11
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 13 – Apr 20Set out May 11
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 19; there is a 10% chance of one before Oct 4. 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 7 and 10% date Sep 28. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Nov 1), 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 225 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