Frost dates · USDA zone 7a
Frost dates for Providence, RI
Providence, RI sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 11 and its first of fall around October 30 — a 199-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 12 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 11 | Oct 30 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 23 | Oct 16 |
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: 199 days median, at least 183 in 9 years of 10, at least 216 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 1 and first of Nov 9.
Providence planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 11) and median first frost (Oct 30) 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 17 | Mar 14 | Jul 2 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 11 | May 11 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 28 | Mar 28 | May 12 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 14 | Apr 25 | Jun 24 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 2 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 31 | Apr 25 | Jul 29 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 2 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 7 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 7 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 28 | Mar 28 | Jun 6 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jul 2 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jul 7 | 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 Providence grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Providence container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Providence frost questions
When is the last frost in Providence, RI?
The median last 32 °F freeze at PROVIDENCE T F GREEN AP, RI is April 11: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 23; nine years in ten, it comes after April 1. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Providence, RI?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 30. One year in ten it arrives before October 16; nine years in ten, before November 12.
How long is the growing season in Providence, RI?
199 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 183 days; one year in ten, at least 216 days.
What growing zone is Providence, RI?
USDA hardiness zone 7a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 02903. 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 Providence, RI?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 28 and transplant around Apr 18, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 23. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 2.
When should I plant peppers in Providence, RI?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 14; transplant no earlier than Apr 18, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 2.
Nearby in Rhode Island
- East Providencelast frost Apr 11
- Pawtucketlast frost Apr 22
- Cranstonlast frost Apr 11
- Warwicklast frost Apr 11
- Woonsocketlast frost Apr 22
All Rhode Island frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →