Northampton, MA 01003 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Northampton, MA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/02, roughly 247 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 160 frost-free days later.
Northampton sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Northampton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/02 isn't a guarantee
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 Northampton compares
About 160 days separate Northampton's last and first frost, putting it 32,235 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MA, it ranks 523 of 712.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Northampton's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Northampton's dates instead of trusting one.