North Adams, MA 01256 Frost Dates
Frost dates for North Adams, MA, ZIP 01256
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/17, roughly 262 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/01, about 136 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
Zone 5b around North Adams has about 5 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
05/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/30 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How North Adams compares
About 136 days separate North Adams's last and first frost, putting it 37,652 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MA, it ranks 711 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in North Adams can differ from the 01256 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5b and North Adams's frost date answer different questions.