Manchester, NH 03043 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Manchester, NH?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/02, about 247 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/08, about 158 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Manchester in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Manchester 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. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Manchester compares
At roughly 158 frost-free days, Manchester places 32,862 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within NH, it ranks 69 of 260.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Manchester can differ from the 03043 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Manchester's frost date answer different questions.