Poultney, VT 05731 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Poultney, VT?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/30, about 245 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 164 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 Poultney, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Poultney 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
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. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Poultney compares
About 164 days separate Poultney's last and first frost, putting it 31,050 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within VT, it ranks 24 of 330.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Poultney's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Poultney's dates instead of trusting one.