Frost dates / By state
Frost dates in Rhode Island
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Your own yard can run a little either side.
Short answer
Across 8 NOAA weather stations in Rhode Island, the average last spring frost runs from April 11 at Newport State Airport to May 1 at Kingston 1 W. The first fall frost comes as early as October 12 at Kingston 1 W and as late as November 4 at Newport State Airport. Planting zones near these stations run from 6b to 7a.
Rhode Island cities
- Frost dates in Providence: last frost April 11, first frost October 30
Find yours by ZIP code
The table below is by weather station. For the station nearest you, and your planting zone, type your ZIP code.
Rhode Island frost dates by weather station
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free | Zone nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston 1 NW 115 ft | April 27 1 in 10 after May 11 | October 15 1 in 10 by October 2 | 171 days | 6b |
| Kingston 1 W 106 ft | May 1 1 in 10 after May 18 | October 12 1 in 10 by October 1 | 164 days | 6b |
| N Foster 1 E 630 ft | April 25 1 in 10 after May 9 | October 19 1 in 10 by October 4 | 177 days | 6b |
| Newport State Airport 172 ft | April 11 1 in 10 after April 24 | November 4 1 in 10 by October 22 | 207 days | 7a |
| Providence T F Green Airport 60 ft | April 11 1 in 10 after April 23 | October 30 1 in 10 by October 16 | 202 days | 7a |
| Tiverton 90 ft | April 11 1 in 10 after April 22 | November 2 1 in 10 by October 20 | 205 days | 7a |
| Westerly State Airport 81 ft | April 11 1 in 10 after April 26 | October 31 1 in 10 by October 16 | 203 days | 7a |
| Woonsocket 110 ft | April 22 1 in 10 after May 6 | October 19 1 in 10 by October 5 | 180 days | 6b |
The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. Stations are NOAA's main weather stations, mostly airports, plus cooperative stations spread across the state. “Zone nearby” is the USDA 2023 zone of the nearest ZIP code within 10 miles. NOAA counts the frost season from August to July, so in the warmest places the “first fall” freeze lands after New Year.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
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Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)