Frost dates · USDA zone 6b
Frost dates for Malden, MA
Malden, MA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 4 and its first of fall around November 9 — a 218-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 | Mar 25 | Nov 22 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 4 | Nov 9 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 17 | Oct 29 |
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: 218 days median, at least 201 in 9 years of 10, at least 235 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 Mar 28 and first of Nov 21.
Malden planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 4) and median first frost (Nov 9) 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 10 | Mar 7 | Jun 25 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 4 | May 4 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 21 | Mar 21 | May 5 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 7 | Apr 18 | Jun 17 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 7 | Apr 11 | Jun 25 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 24 | Apr 18 | Jul 22 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 7 | Apr 11 | Jun 25 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 7 | Apr 11 | Jun 30 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 7 | Apr 11 | Jun 30 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 21 | Mar 21 | May 30 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 21 | Apr 11 | Jun 20 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 21 | Apr 11 | Jun 25 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 21 | Apr 11 | Jun 30 | 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 Malden grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Malden container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Malden frost questions
When is the last frost in Malden, MA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at BOSTON LOGAN INTL AP, MA is April 4: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 17; nine years in ten, it comes after March 25. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Malden, MA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 9. One year in ten it arrives before October 29; nine years in ten, before November 22.
How long is the growing season in Malden, MA?
218 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 201 days; one year in ten, at least 235 days.
What growing zone is Malden, MA?
USDA hardiness zone 6b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 02148. 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 Malden, MA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 21 and transplant around Apr 11, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 17. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 25.
When should I plant peppers in Malden, MA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 7; transplant no earlier than Apr 11, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 25.
Nearby in Massachusetts
- Everettlast frost Apr 4
- Medfordlast frost Apr 4
- Somervillelast frost Apr 4
- Reverelast frost Apr 4
- Cambridgelast frost Apr 19
- Lynnlast frost Apr 25
All Massachusetts frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →