Amherst Town, MA 01002 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Amherst Town, MA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/02, about 247 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 160 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Amherst Town in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Amherst Town before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Amherst Town's last frost
05/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Amherst Town compares
Amherst Town's growing season runs about 160 days, ranking 32,220 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MA, it ranks 516 of 712.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Amherst Town's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Amherst Town's dates instead of trusting one.