Rochester, NH 03822 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rochester, NH?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/30, about 245 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 161 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 6 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 04/30 isn't a guarantee
04/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rochester compares
About 161 days separate Rochester's last and first frost, putting it 31,955 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NH, it ranks 57 of 260.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Rochester can differ from the 03822 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Rochester's frost date answer different questions.