Newton, MA 02445 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.
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 Newton, not a forecast for this year.
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.
Why 04/19 isn't a guarantee
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
About 185 days separate Newton's last and first frost, putting it 23,036 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MA, it ranks 183 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Newton can differ from the 02445 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Newton's frost date answer different questions.