Poultney, VT 05757 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Poultney, VT?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/15, roughly 260 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/27, about 132 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 4 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
05/15 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 Poultney compares
Poultney's growing season runs about 132 days, ranking 38,209 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VT, it ranks 276 of 330.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Poultney can differ from the 05757 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Poultney's frost date answer different questions.