Newton, MA 02492 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Newton, MA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/26, about 241 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 169 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 6 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/14 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Newton compares
At roughly 169 frost-free days, Newton places 29,294 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within MA, it ranks 338 of 712.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Newton can differ from the 02492 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Newton's frost date answer different questions.