Newton, MA 02131 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Newton, MA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/19, about 234 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/23, about 185 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Newton in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°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 8 weeks of growing season left in Newton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Newton's last frost
04/19 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/06 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/03 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Newton compares
Newton's growing season runs about 185 days, ranking 23,034 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MA, it ranks 181 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Newton can differ from the 02131 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Newton's frost date answer different questions.