North Adams, MA 01247 Frost Dates
When can you plant in North Adams, MA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/10, about 255 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 147 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts North Adams in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 5 weeks of growing season left in North Adams before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/10 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/25 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How North Adams compares
About 147 days separate North Adams's last and first frost, putting it 35,865 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MA, it ranks 682 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in North Adams can differ from the 01247 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and North Adams's frost date answer different questions.