Frost dates for Lowell, Massachusetts
In Lowell, half of springs have had their last frost by April 30 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 10), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 10, leaving about 164 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
Lowell, Massachusetts
Last spring frost
April 30
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 10: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 10
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by September 30.
Growing season
164 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 148.
Hardiness zone
6b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −5°F to 0°F. On the 2012 map it was 6a, half a zone colder. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 2 in 6a and 8 in 6b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Lowell (2 miles away, at 110 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of April 30 and a typical first frost of October 10. NOAA's Lawrence (9 miles away, at 50 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of April 13 and a typical first frost of October 28. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from April 13 to 30 and the typical first frost from October 10 to 28, 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 Lowell
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 | April 19 | April 30 | May 10 |
| First frost in fall | September 30 | October 10 | October 24 |
The frost-free season between them runs 164 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 179 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 148 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 18 and first on October 22. 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 May 9 and first on October 1. 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 Lowell comes between April 19 and May 10, a window of 21 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 Massachusetts's 69 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 38 percent have their typical last frost later than Lowell does.
Planting calendar for Lowell
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.
Your season is too short for a separate fall planting of cabbage: sown late enough to be a fall crop, it wouldn't be ready before the typical first frost. Your spring planting is your harvest.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| February | ||
| February 12 to March 12 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February 26 to March 26 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 12 to April 2 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March 19 to April 2 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 26 to April 9 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| April | ||
| April 2 to 16 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 2 to 16 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 16 to 30 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 16 to 30 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 30 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| May | ||
| May 14 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 14 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 4 to 18 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 23 |
| July | ||
| July 14 | 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 |
| July 18 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 19 | 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 |
| July 23 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 24 | 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 |
| July 28 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August | ||
| August 7 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 17 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 27 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 30 | 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 |
| October | ||
| October 29 to November 5 | 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 10 days later. That plans around May 10, 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 Lowell (station USC00194313), 2 miles from the center of Lowell. It sits at about the same elevation, 110 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 11 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 01824, 01826, 01850, 01851, 01852, 01854, 01862, 01863, 01876, 01879, 01886. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Nashua, New Hampshire: last frost around April 30, first frost around October 12 (10 miles away)
- Manchester, New Hampshire: last frost around April 21, first frost around October 19 (25 miles away)
- Boston, Massachusetts: last frost around April 4, first frost around November 9 (25 miles away)
See frost dates across Massachusetts, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.