New England Garden Calendar

Home / Connecticut / Hartford Brainard Fld

Frost dates for Hartford Brainard Fld, CT

NOAA weather station USW00014752 at 19 ft elevation. Based on 28 years within 1991-2020. Last verified 2026-10-17.

Last spring freeze (32°F)

Apr 17

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

Apr 23 30% risk · May 1 10% risk

First fall freeze (32°F)

Oct 26

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

Oct 12 10% chance of a freeze earlier than this

Freeze-free season

191 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 14 / May 5 / Apr 30Oct 2 / Oct 14
32°F (freeze)May 1 / Apr 23 / Apr 17Oct 12 / Oct 26
28°F (hard freeze)Apr 21 / Apr 10 / Apr 3Oct 22 / Nov 5

Also at 32°F, last-freeze 70% date Apr 11 and 90% date Apr 1 (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 USW00014752, 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.

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
SpinachJan 29 – Mar 5Set out Mar 12 – Apr 2Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 3-6 wk before last frost.
BroccoliFeb 12 – Mar 12Set out Mar 26 – Apr 9Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
Brussels sproutFeb 12 – Mar 12Set out Mar 26 – Apr 9Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2-4 wk before last frost.
CabbageFeb 12 – Feb 26Set out Mar 26Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KaleFeb 12 – Feb 26Set out Mar 26Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
KohlrabiFeb 12 – Feb 26Set out Mar 26Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LeekJan 15 – Jan 29Set out Mar 26Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
LettuceFeb 19 – Mar 5Set out Mar 26 – Apr 2Start 4-5 wk before set-out; set out 3-4 wk before last frost.
OnionJan 15 – Jan 29Set out Mar 26Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 4 wk before last frost.
Radish—Sow Mar 26 – Apr 9Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
Turnip—Sow Mar 26 – Apr 9Sow seed in garden 2-4 wk before last frost.
ParsleyJan 22 – Feb 5Set out Apr 2 – Apr 9Start 9-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk before last frost.
CauliflowerFeb 26 – Mar 12Set out Apr 9Start 4-6 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk before last frost.
Potato—Sow Apr 9 – Apr 16Plant seed potatoes 1-2 wk before last frost.
Swiss chardFeb 26 – Mar 12Set out Apr 9; or sow Mar 26Start 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 23Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CeleryJan 29 – Feb 12Set out on/after Apr 23Start 10-12 wk before set-out; set out after last frost.
Parsnip—Sow on/after Apr 23Sow seed in garden after last frost.
CucumberApr 2 – Apr 16Set out Apr 30 – May 7
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 Apr 30 – May 7Plant slips (young plants) 1-2 wk after last frost.
TomatoMar 5 – Mar 26Set out Apr 30 – May 7Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 1-2 wk after last frost.
BasilMar 12 – Mar 26Set out May 7Start 6-8 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
EggplantFeb 26 – Mar 19Set out May 7 – May 14Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2-3 wk after last frost.
MelonApr 9 – Apr 16Set out May 7Start 3-4 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PepperFeb 26 – Mar 12Set out May 7Start 8-10 wk before set-out; set out 2 wk after last frost.
PumpkinApr 9 – Apr 16Set out May 7
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 9 – Apr 16Set out May 7
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 9 – Apr 16Set out May 7
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 9 – Apr 16Set out May 7
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 26; there is a 10% chance of one before Oct 12. 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 14 and 10% date Oct 2. UNH Extension notes many fall vegetables tolerate mild frosts down to about 28°F (median first 28°F here: Nov 5), 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 19 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