Worcester, MA 01560 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Worcester, MA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/23, about 238 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 181 frost-free days later.
Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Worcester, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Worcester before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/23 isn't a guarantee
04/23 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Worcester compares
Worcester's growing season runs about 181 days, ranking 24,388 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MA, it ranks 213 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Worcester can differ from the 01560 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Worcester's frost date answer different questions.