Springfield, Massachusetts: planting zone & frost dates
Springfield is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a, where the average coldest winter night reaches -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 9 and the first fall frost around Oct 3.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 17 | Sep 26 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 9 | Oct 3 |
| Median (50%) | May 3 | Oct 8 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station WESTFIELD BARNES MUNI AP, MA (USW00014775), 9.5 mi (15.3 km) from the city center and 98 ft higher than the city center (+30 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 22 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Springfield
Springfield spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 13 ZIP codes): 6a (66%), 6b (34%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Springfield
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 9, first frost Oct 3). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 16 – May 30 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | May 23 – Jun 6 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | Apr 25 – May 16 | Apr 11 – May 23 | Jul 25 – Aug 22 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 16 – Jun 20 | Jul 11 – Jul 25 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 16 – Jun 13 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 11 – Jul 25 |
| Cucumber | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 23 – May 30 | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 11 – Jul 25 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 18 – May 23 | Jul 11 – Jul 25 |
| Onion | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 23 – Jun 6 | May 23 – Jun 13 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | Aug 8 – Sep 5 |
| Kale | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 11 – May 2 | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jul 25 – Aug 22 |
| Broccoli | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 16 | — | Jul 11 – Jul 25 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jul 25 – Aug 8 |
| Eggplant | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | May 23 – Jun 6 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | — | Jul 11 – Jul 25 |
| Radish | — | — | Apr 4 – May 23 | Aug 22 – Sep 19 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 18 – May 30 | Jul 25 – Aug 8 |
Nearby cities in Massachusetts
- Worcester — zone 6a, last frost May 6, first frost Oct 4
- Lowell — zone 6b, last frost May 3, first frost Oct 5
- Newton — zone 6b, last frost Apr 24, first frost Oct 16
- Cambridge — zone 6b, last frost Apr 8, first frost Nov 3
- Somerville — zone 7a, last frost Apr 8, first frost Nov 3
- Fall River — zone 7a, last frost May 5, first frost Oct 9
More: all Massachusetts cities · other zone 6a cities: Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Milwaukee, WI, Colorado Springs, CO, Omaha, NE, Aurora, CO, Lincoln, NE, Fort Wayne, IN
Springfield gardening questions
When is the last frost in Springfield, MA?
Plan around May 9. At NOAA's Westfield Barnes Municipal Airport, MA station, 9.5 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by May 3, and after May 17 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 21. The last frost is fairly predictable here: only 27 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in Springfield, MA?
Start seeds indoors Mar 14 – Mar 28 and set transplants outside May 16 – May 30, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 147 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Springfield?
About 158 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 139 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 179 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Sep 26 and a 30% chance by Oct 3. That is the shortest of the 13 Massachusetts cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Springfield?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 3): transplant broccoli Jul 11 – Jul 25; sow kale Jul 25 – Aug 22; sow lettuce Jul 25 – Aug 22; sow radishes Aug 22 – Sep 19. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 20. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Springfield's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, Springfield is zone 6a on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Springfield in zone 6a?
No. Zone 6a covers about 66% of the city's land; the rest is in 6b (34%), measured across the city's 13 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.