U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00436995 · Vermont

Frost Dates for Rutland, VT

NOAA weather station Rutland (USC00436995), Vermont · elevation 620 ft (189 m) · hardiness zone 5a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 31only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 1550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostSeptember 2750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season132 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Rutland, VTSpring: a frost after May 1 in 9 years out of 10, after May 15 in half of the years, after May 31 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 13 in 1 year out of 10, before September 27 in half of the years, before October 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 132 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 15First frost ~Sep 27Frost season at Rutland, VTSpring: a frost after May 1 in 9 years out of 10, after May 15 in half of the years, after May 31 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 13 in 1 year out of 10, before September 27 in half of the years, before October 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 132 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 15First frost ~Sep 27
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 31September 13
50% (typical)May 15September 27
90% (likely)May 1October 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
132 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
May 2
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 11 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 1 (4 days later). Frost-free season 141 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Rutland: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 31, 20% May 25, 30% May 22, 40% May 18, 50% May 15, 60% May 12, 70% May 8, 80% May 5, 90% May 1. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 7, 2022 May 10, 2023 May 26, 2024 April 28, 2025 April 29, 2026 May 22.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 31May 15May 12021: May 72022: May 102023: May 262024: April 282025: April 292026: May 22Fall at Rutland: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 13, 20% September 17, 30% September 21, 40% September 24, 50% September 27, 60% September 29, 70% October 1, 80% October 4, 90% October 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 24, 2022 September 30, 2023 October 13, 2024 October 13, 2025 September 21.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Sep 1Oct 1Sep 13Sep 27Oct 82021: October 242022: September 302023: October 132024: October 132025: September 21
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 7October 24
2022May 10September 30
2023May 26October 13
2024April 28October 13
2025April 29September 21
2026May 22season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Rutland for finishing the harvest is September 13, when there is only a 10% chance of a light frost developing earlier. Gardeners who want to avoid a frost will aim to complete tender-crop harvesting by that date; extending beyond it moves into a 90% chance of a frost by October 8.

The median (50%) light-frost dates are May 15 in spring and September 27 in fall, each representing an even odds of a frost occurring on that day. A cautious spring schedule uses May 31 as the date with only a 10% chance of a later frost, while a cautious fall schedule relies on September 13. The hard-frost 50% dates are May 2 and October 5, and a hard frost at 28 °F can injure or kill plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, making it a more critical threshold.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 31" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before September 13" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Rutland, VTNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Rochester, VT — 18 mi; 2 — Cornwall, VT — 26 mi; 3 — Hanover, NH — 35 mi; 4 — Glens Falls, NY — 37 mi; 5 — Newport, NH — 43 mi.VTNYNH25 mi · 40 km1. Rochester, VT — 18 mi12. Cornwall, VT — 26 mi23. Hanover, NH — 35 mi34. Glens Falls, NY — 37 mi45. Newport, NH — 43 mi5
  1. Rochester, VT 18 mi (29 km)
  2. Cornwall, VT 26 mi (41 km)
  3. Hanover, NH 35 mi (56 km)
  4. Glens Falls, NY 37 mi (60 km)
  5. Newport, NH 43 mi (70 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 43.6253, -72.9781.