Amherst Town, MA 01004 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Amherst Town, MA, ZIP 01004
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.
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
Zone 6a around Amherst Town has about 6 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
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 Amherst Town compares
Amherst Town's growing season runs about 160 days, ranking 32,221 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MA, it ranks 517 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Amherst Town can differ from the 01004 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 6a and Amherst Town's frost date answer different questions.