Rochester, NH 03291 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rochester, NH?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/08, about 253 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 148 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Rochester, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Rochester before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/08 isn't a guarantee
05/08 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rochester compares
Rochester's growing season runs about 148 days, ranking 35,627 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NH, it ranks 137 of 260.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Rochester's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Rochester can differ from the 03291 normal.