When to plant in Cotuit, MA

Planting dates worked out from Cotuit's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Safe to plant out

Apr 26

1 year in 10 has a later frost

Average last frost

Apr 13

about a 50% chance of a later one

Average first fall frost

Nov 1

1 year in 10 by Oct 20

Frost-free days

198

median, 1991–2020

Station used: Hyannis · 12.3 km away · station 18 m, town 7 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

Build my Cotuit plan

Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 14 – Mar 28	May 9 – May 23	Jul 3
Sweet pepper	Feb 28 – Mar 14	May 9 – May 23	Jul 8
Lettuce (leaf)	Feb 28 – Mar 7	Apr 4 – Apr 18	May 14
Peas	—	Apr 4 – May 2	May 29
Bush beans	—	May 3 – May 24	Jun 22
Carrot	—	Apr 15 – May 27	Jun 14
Beet	—	Apr 15 – May 27	Jun 4
Potato	—	Apr 15 – May 6	Jun 24
Kale	Feb 28 – Mar 14	Apr 11 – Apr 25	May 24
Broccoli	Feb 21 – Mar 7	Apr 4 – Apr 25	Jun 3
Cucumber	Apr 11 – Apr 18	May 9 – May 23	Jun 28
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 11 – Apr 18	May 9 – May 23	Jun 23
Winter squash	Apr 11 – Apr 18	May 9 – May 23	Jul 28
Sweet corn	—	May 3 – May 24	Jul 2
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 4 – Apr 25	Jul 3
Garlic	—	Oct 16 – Nov 13 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 4 – May 2	May 12
Basil	Mar 28 – Apr 11	May 9 – May 23	Jul 5

Plan all 65 crops for Cotuit

Cotuit's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Last spring frost
1893	Apr 26
1894	Apr 7
1895	Apr 11
1896	Apr 10
1897	Apr 21
1899	Apr 12
1900	May 11
1902	Apr 19
1903	Apr 6
1905	Apr 19
1906	Apr 9
1907	May 12
1908	Apr 21
1909	Apr 29
1910	Apr 29
1911	Apr 13
1912	Apr 11
1913	Apr 18
1914	Apr 24
1931	Mar 22
1932	Apr 28
1933	Apr 28
1934	Apr 8
1935	Apr 18
1936	Apr 23
1937	Apr 26
1938	Apr 11
1939	Apr 17
1940	Apr 29
1941	Apr 5
1942	Apr 10
1943	May 2
1944	Apr 29
1947	May 15
1949	Apr 29
1950	Apr 25
1951	Mar 27
1952	Apr 10
1953	Apr 14
1954	May 14
1955	May 2
1956	May 25
1957	Jun 4
1958	May 1
1959	May 17
1960	May 3
1961	May 31
1962	May 29
1963	May 28
1964	May 29
1965	May 15
1966	May 3
1971	May 7
1972	Apr 27
1974	May 2
1976	Apr 13
1977	May 4
1978	May 1
1979	Apr 22
1981	Apr 23
1982	Apr 23
1983	Apr 23
1984	Apr 22
1985	May 15
1986	Apr 13
1987	Apr 27
1988	May 9
1989	Apr 25
1990	Apr 23
1991	Apr 14
1992	May 1
1993	Apr 6
1994	Apr 9
1995	Apr 17
1996	May 14
1997	Apr 16
1998	Apr 12
2001	May 6
2002	Apr 6
2003	Apr 18
2004	Apr 6
2005	Apr 18
2007	Apr 11
2008	Apr 11
2009	Apr 13
2010	Mar 28
2011	Apr 16
2012	Apr 1
2013	Apr 8
2014	Apr 11
2015	Apr 3
2016	Apr 10
2017	Mar 26
2018	Apr 12
2019	Apr 11
2020	Apr 23
2021	Apr 4
2022	Apr 1
2023	Apr 5
2025	Apr 19
2026	Apr 25

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1893	186
1894	213
1895	182
1896	192
1899	213
1900	161
1902	193
1903	203
1905	187
1906	212
1907	156
1908	174
1909	174
1910	183
1911	198
1912	206
1913	196
1914	186
1931	229
1932	189
1933	180
1934	205
1935	220
1936	186
1937	171
1938	218
1939	181
1940	172
1941	221
1942	208
1943	186
1947	138
1949	191
1950	184
1951	200
1952	193
1953	162
1954	146
1955	177
1956	133
1957	116
1958	151
1959	151
1960	136
1961	137
1962	115
1963	119
1964	135
1965	135
1966	146
1971	154
1972	166
1974	169
1976	181
1977	172
1978	176
1979	177
1981	171
1982	178
1983	182
1984	167
1985	167
1986	194
1987	170
1988	164
1989	192
1990	187
1991	189
1992	179
1993	190
1994	225
1995	202
1996	180
1997	189
2001	164
2002	200
2003	188
2005	194
2008	195
2009	188
2010	217
2011	197
2012	218
2013	210
2014	217
2015	228
2016	199
2017	229
2018	192
2019	211
2020	205
2021	215
2022	231
2025	201

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1893	17.5 °C
1894	18.2 °C
1895	18.1 °C
1896	18.4 °C
1899	16.2 °C
1900	16.4 °C
1901	16.5 °C
1903	15.4 °C
1905	15.5 °C
1906	16.4 °C
1907	15.1 °C
1908	16.4 °C
1909	15.8 °C
1910	16.3 °C
1911	16.0 °C
1912	16.0 °C
1913	15.9 °C
1914	15.7 °C
1930	16.8 °C
1931	16.9 °C
1932	16.2 °C
1934	16.3 °C
1935	15.8 °C
1936	15.6 °C
1937	16.1 °C
1938	15.9 °C
1939	15.7 °C
1940	15.3 °C
1941	16.1 °C
1942	16.4 °C
1943	15.9 °C
1947	16.8 °C
1948	16.6 °C
1949	17.9 °C
1950	15.9 °C
1953	16.2 °C
1954	15.5 °C
1955	16.9 °C
1956	15.3 °C
1957	16.7 °C
1958	15.9 °C
1959	17.1 °C
1960	16.4 °C
1961	16.3 °C
1962	15.6 °C
1963	16.1 °C
1964	15.9 °C
1965	15.8 °C
1966	15.5 °C
1972	15.6 °C
1974	16.5 °C
1976	17.0 °C
1977	16.6 °C
1978	16.1 °C
1979	16.7 °C
1981	16.8 °C
1982	15.9 °C
1983	16.9 °C
1984	16.3 °C
1985	16.4 °C
1986	16.1 °C
1987	16.2 °C
1988	16.3 °C
1989	16.1 °C
1990	16.2 °C
1991	17.4 °C
1992	15.4 °C
1993	16.9 °C
1995	15.9 °C
1996	15.9 °C
1997	15.8 °C
2001	17.2 °C
2002	17.4 °C
2005	17.1 °C
2007	16.3 °C
2008	17.4 °C
2009	16.6 °C
2010	18.7 °C
2011	17.6 °C
2012	18.0 °C
2013	17.6 °C
2014	17.2 °C
2015	17.9 °C
2016	17.9 °C
2017	16.7 °C
2018	17.1 °C
2019	17.0 °C
2020	17.1 °C
2021	17.9 °C
2022	18.1 °C
2025	17.2 °C
2026	17.5 °C

What this means for you: Since 1893, Cotuit's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Hyannis (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Mashpee Neck Osterville Marstons Mills Mashpee Centerville Forestdale