Frost dates · USDA zone 6a
Frost dates for Worcester, MA
Worcester, MA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 23 and its first of fall around October 21 — a 181-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 11 | Nov 3 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 23 | Oct 21 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 5 | Oct 6 |
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: 181 days median, at least 160 in 9 years of 10, at least 198 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 11 and first of Nov 1.
Worcester planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 23) and median first frost (Oct 21) 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 29 | Mar 26 | Jul 14 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 23 | May 23 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 9 | Apr 9 | May 24 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 26 | May 7 | Jul 6 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 26 | Apr 30 | Jul 14 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 12 | May 7 | Aug 10 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 26 | Apr 30 | Jul 14 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 26 | Apr 30 | Jul 19 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 26 | Apr 30 | Jul 19 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 9 | Apr 9 | Jun 18 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 12 | Apr 30 | Jul 9 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 12 | Apr 30 | Jul 14 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 12 | Apr 30 | Jul 19 | 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 Worcester grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Worcester container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Worcester frost questions
When is the last frost in Worcester, MA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at WORCESTER RGNL AP, MA is April 23: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 5; nine years in ten, it comes after April 11. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Worcester, MA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 21. One year in ten it arrives before October 6; nine years in ten, before November 3.
How long is the growing season in Worcester, MA?
181 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 160 days; one year in ten, at least 198 days.
What growing zone is Worcester, MA?
USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 01608. 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 Worcester, MA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 12 and transplant around Apr 30, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 5. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 14.
When should I plant peppers in Worcester, MA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 26; transplant no earlier than Apr 30, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 14.
Nearby in Massachusetts
- Marlboroughlast frost May 2
- Leominsterlast frost Apr 29
- Framinghamlast frost Apr 26
- Fitchburglast frost Apr 29
- Walthamlast frost Apr 28
- Newtonlast frost Apr 19
All Massachusetts frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →