Frost dates · USDA zone 6b
Frost dates for Hartford, CT
Hartford, CT sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 17 and its first of fall around October 26 — a 191-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 1 | Nov 7 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 17 | Oct 26 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 1 | Oct 12 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 191 days median, at least 169 in 9 years of 10, at least 212 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 3 and first of Nov 5.
Hartford planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 17) and median first frost (Oct 26) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 23 | Mar 20 | Jul 8 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 17 | May 17 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 3 | Apr 3 | May 18 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 20 | May 1 | Jun 30 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 20 | Apr 24 | Jul 8 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 6 | May 1 | Aug 4 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 20 | Apr 24 | Jul 8 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 20 | Apr 24 | Jul 13 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 20 | Apr 24 | Jul 13 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 3 | Apr 3 | Jun 12 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 6 | Apr 24 | Jul 3 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 6 | Apr 24 | Jul 8 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 6 | Apr 24 | Jul 13 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Hartford grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Hartford container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Hartford frost questions
When is the last frost in Hartford, CT?
The median last 32 °F freeze at HARTFORD BRAINARD FLD, CT is April 17: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 1; nine years in ten, it comes after April 1. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Hartford, CT?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 26. One year in ten it arrives before October 12; nine years in ten, before November 7.
How long is the growing season in Hartford, CT?
191 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 169 days; one year in ten, at least 212 days.
What growing zone is Hartford, CT?
USDA hardiness zone 6b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 06103. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Hartford, CT?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 6 and transplant around Apr 24, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 1. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 8.
When should I plant peppers in Hartford, CT?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 20; transplant no earlier than Apr 24, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 8.
Nearby in Connecticut
- New Britainlast frost Apr 17
- Bristollast frost Apr 25
- Middletownlast frost Apr 26
- Meridenlast frost Apr 26
- Waterburylast frost Apr 26
- New Havenlast frost Apr 17
All Connecticut frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →