Rutland, VT 05702 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rutland, VT?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/16, roughly 261 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/02, about 140 frost-free days later.
Rutland sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Rutland 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
05/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/31 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rutland compares
Rutland's growing season runs about 140 days, ranking 37,027 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VT, it ranks 170 of 330.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Rutland's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Rutland's dates instead of trusting one.