Frost dates for Bridgeport, Connecticut
In Bridgeport, half of springs have had their last frost by April 5 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 17), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 6, leaving about 216 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Last spring frost
April 5
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 17: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 6
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 25.
Growing season
216 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 198.
Hardiness zone
7a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 0°F to 5°F. It was 7a on the 2012 map too. All 12 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 7a.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport (4 miles away, at at sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of April 5 and a typical first frost of November 6. NOAA's Ansonia 1 NE (10 miles away, at 140 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of April 25 and a typical first frost of October 17. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from April 5 to 25 and the typical first frost from October 17 to November 6, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Bridgeport
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 25 | April 5 | April 17 |
| First frost in fall | October 25 | November 6 | November 20 |
The frost-free season between them runs 216 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 234 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 198 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 26 and first on November 19. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 16 and first on October 26. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Bridgeport comes between March 25 and April 17, a window of 23 days. That is narrower than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so the typical date is a steadier guide here than in most places.
Among Connecticut's 23 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 96 percent have their typical last frost later than Bridgeport does.
Planting calendar for Bridgeport
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 18 to February 15 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February | ||
| February 1 to March 1 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 15 to March 8 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 22 to March 8 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 1 to 15 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 8 to 22 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 8 to 22 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 22 to April 5 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 22 to April 5 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 5 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 19 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 19 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 11 to 25 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 30 |
| July | ||
| July 1 to 15 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 19 |
| August | ||
| August 10 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 14 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 15 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 19 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 20 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 24 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 3 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 13 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 23 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 25 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 26 to December 3 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 12 days later. That plans around April 17, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport (station USW00094702), 4 miles from the center of Bridgeport. It sits at about the same elevation, at sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Norwalk and Milford.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 13 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 06460, 06461, 06604, 06605, 06606, 06607, 06608, 06610, 06614, 06615, 06824, 06825, 06890. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- New Haven, Connecticut: last frost around April 17, first frost around October 27 (15 miles away)
- Stamford, Connecticut: last frost around April 17, first frost around October 23 (20 miles away)
- Waterbury, Connecticut: last frost around April 26, first frost around October 16 (25 miles away)
See frost dates across Connecticut, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.