Lowell, MA 01460 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lowell, MA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/02, roughly 247 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/06, about 156 frost-free days later.
Lowell 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 Lowell 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 04/22 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 Lowell compares
Lowell's growing season runs about 156 days, ranking 33,490 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MA, it ranks 599 of 712.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Lowell's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Lowell can differ from the 01460 normal.