Frost dates for Rutland, Vermont
In Rutland, half of springs have had their last frost by May 15 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 31), and half of falls have had their first frost by September 27, leaving about 132 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
Rutland, Vermont
Last spring frost
May 15
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 31: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
September 27
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by September 13.
Growing season
132 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 112.
Hardiness zone
5a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −20°F to −15°F. It was 5a on the 2012 map too. All 5 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 5a.
Print a year planner for Rutland
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 | May 1 | May 15 | May 31 |
| First frost in fall | September 13 | September 27 | October 8 |
The frost-free season between them runs 132 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 151 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 112 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on May 2 and first on October 5. 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 29 and first on September 16. 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 Rutland comes between May 1 and May 31, a window of 30 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among Vermont's 45 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 36 percent have their typical last frost later than Rutland does.
Planting calendar for Rutland
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 and broccoli: 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 27 to March 27 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| March | ||
| March 13 to April 10 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 27 to April 17 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| April | ||
| April 3 to 17 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| April 10 to 24 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| April 17 to May 1 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 17 to May 1 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| May | ||
| May 1 to 15 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| May 1 to 15 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| May 15 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| May 29 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 29 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 1 | 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 5 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 6 | 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 10 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 11 | 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 15 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 25 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August | ||
| August 4 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 14 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 13 | 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 12 to 19 | 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 16 days later. That plans around May 31, 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 Rutland (station USC00436995), 1 mile from the center of Rutland. It sits at about the same elevation, 620 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 15 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 05701, 05732, 05735, 05736, 05744, 05757, 05759, 05763, 05764, 05765, 05773, 05774, 05777, 12837, 12861. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Barre, Vermont: last frost around May 25, first frost around September 22 (45 miles away)
- Burlington, Vermont: last frost around April 29, first frost around October 15 (60 miles away)
- Concord, New Hampshire: last frost around May 8, first frost around October 3 (75 miles away)
See frost dates across Vermont, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.