Frost dates in Rhode Island
Across Rhode Island's 11 NOAA stations with a frost every year, the typical last spring frost ranges from April 7 at Newport Rose (20 feet above sea level) to May 3 at Kingston (120 feet above sea level). The middle station's date is April 22.
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Last frost across Rhode Island
The frost-free season runs from 159 days at Kingston to 216 days at Newport Rose.
These are typical dates: in half of springs the last frost comes later. Each place's page, and each ZIP code lookup, also gives the late-year date, after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost. That's the safer date for tender plants.
Frost dates for Rhode Island's larger places
| Place | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Season | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | April 11 | November 4 | 206 days | 7a |
| Providence | April 11 | October 30 | 199 days | 7a |
| Woonsocket | April 22 | October 19 | 179 days | 6b |
Typical (1-in-2) dates. Each place's page has the early and late years, a planting calendar and a printable planner. Zones are for the ZIP code nearest each place's center.
Hardiness zones in Rhode Island
Rhode Island's 88 ZIP codes in the USDA list fall in zones 6b to 7b: 6b (45 percent), 7a (53 percent) and 7b (1 percent). Compared with the 2012 map, 60 percent of them moved to a warmer half zone and 40 percent stayed the same.
A hardiness zone is about the coldest night of winter, which decides which shrubs, trees and perennials survive. Frost dates are about spring and fall, which decide when to plant. You need both. Read more about what the zones mean and what changed in 2023.
Every NOAA station in Rhode Island
All 11 stations in Rhode Island with frost statistics in NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, from A to Z. Station names are usually a town, an airport, or a distance and direction from a town. Find one near you and at a similar elevation.
| Station | Elevation (feet) | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry 2 | 280 | April 22 | October 20 | 179 |
| Kingston | 120 | May 3 | October 8 | 159 |
| Kingston 1 NW | 110 | April 27 | October 15 | 171 |
| Kingston 1 W | 100 | May 1 | October 12 | 163 |
| N Foster 1 E | 630 | April 25 | October 19 | 176 |
| Newport Rose | 20 | April 7 | November 13 | 216 |
| Newport State Airport | 170 | April 11 | November 4 | 206 |
| Providence T F Green Airport | 60 | April 11 | October 30 | 199 |
| Tiverton | 90 | April 11 | November 2 | 203 |
| Westerly State Airport | 80 | April 11 | October 31 | 201 |
| Woonsocket | 110 | April 22 | October 19 | 179 |
Typical (1-in-2) dates at 32°F. For the early and late years, and a planting calendar built from your own dates, look up your ZIP code.