Northampton, MA 01038 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Northampton, MA, ZIP 01038
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.
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
Zone 6a around Northampton 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
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 32,236 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MA, it ranks 524 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Northampton can differ from the 01038 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 6a and Northampton's frost date answer different questions.