Dover, NH 03869 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Dover, NH?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/03, roughly 248 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 158 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Dover 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 Dover 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
05/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/23 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Dover compares
At roughly 158 frost-free days, Dover places 32,897 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within NH, it ranks 76 of 260.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Dover can differ from the 03869 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Dover's frost date answer different questions.