Frost dates / By state
Frost dates in Vermont
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 Vermont, the average last spring frost runs from April 29 at Burlington Intl Airport to May 25 at Averill. The first fall frost comes as early as September 22 at Averill and as late as October 15 at Burlington Intl Airport. Planting zones near these stations run from 4a to 5b.
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.
Vermont frost dates by weather station
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free | Zone nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Averill 1,699 ft | May 25 1 in 10 after June 8 | September 22 1 in 10 by September 8 | 120 days | 4a |
| Barre Montpelier Airport 1,126 ft | May 16 1 in 10 after May 30 | September 29 1 in 10 by September 16 | 136 days | 5a |
| Bennington Morse St Airport 826 ft | May 11 1 in 10 after May 28 | October 2 1 in 10 by September 19 | 144 days | 5b |
| Burlington Intl Airport 330 ft | April 29 1 in 10 after May 11 | October 15 1 in 10 by October 2 | 169 days | 5a |
| Cornwall 345 ft | May 5 1 in 10 after May 20 | October 3 1 in 10 by September 21 | 151 days | 5a |
| Morrisville Stowe State Airport 732 ft | May 20 1 in 10 after June 4 | September 28 1 in 10 by September 14 | 131 days | 4b |
| Saint Johnsbury 700 ft | May 10 1 in 10 after May 23 | October 3 1 in 10 by September 21 | 146 days | 4b |
| Springfield Hartness Airport 578 ft | May 13 1 in 10 after May 28 | October 3 1 in 10 by September 20 | 143 days | 5b |
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)