When to plant in Norton Center, MA
Planting dates worked out from Norton Center's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 7
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 26
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 16
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
172
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Nws Boston/norton · 4.2 km away · station 26 m, town 26 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 1 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 25 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 11 |
| Peas | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 26 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jun 19 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jun 9 |
| Beet | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | May 30 |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 19 |
| Kale | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 21 |
| Broccoli | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | May 31 |
| Cucumber | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 7 – May 21 | Jun 26 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 7 – May 21 | Jun 21 |
| Winter squash | Apr 9 – Apr 16 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 26 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jun 29 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 30 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 9 |
| Basil | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 3 |
Norton Center'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 |
|---|---|
| 1995 | May 2 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | Apr 27 |
| 1998 | Apr 14 |
| 1999 | May 1 |
| 2000 | May 1 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2002 | Apr 27 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | Apr 17 |
| 2005 | Apr 22 |
| 2006 | Apr 29 |
| 2007 | May 7 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | Apr 22 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 27 |
| 2017 | Apr 4 |
| 2019 | Apr 6 |
| 2020 | Apr 29 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
| 2025 | Apr 19 |
| 2026 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 168 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 167 |
| 1998 | 175 |
| 1999 | 158 |
| 2000 | 151 |
| 2001 | 153 |
| 2002 | 170 |
| 2003 | 140 |
| 2004 | 171 |
| 2005 | 189 |
| 2006 | 167 |
| 2007 | 174 |
| 2008 | 172 |
| 2009 | 179 |
| 2010 | 177 |
| 2011 | 188 |
| 2012 | 165 |
| 2013 | 186 |
| 2014 | 181 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 182 |
| 2017 | 218 |
| 2019 | 181 |
| 2020 | 171 |
| 2021 | 195 |
| 2022 | 191 |
| 2023 | 167 |
| 2024 | 172 |
| 2025 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 16.7 °C |
| 1996 | 16.9 °C |
| 1997 | 16.6 °C |
| 1998 | 18.1 °C |
| 1999 | 18.5 °C |
| 2000 | 16.8 °C |
| 2001 | 18.2 °C |
| 2002 | 18.2 °C |
| 2003 | 17.4 °C |
| 2004 | 17.6 °C |
| 2005 | 18.2 °C |
| 2006 | 17.9 °C |
| 2007 | 17.8 °C |
| 2008 | 18.1 °C |
| 2009 | 17.4 °C |
| 2010 | 19.5 °C |
| 2011 | 18.6 °C |
| 2012 | 18.6 °C |
| 2013 | 18.1 °C |
| 2014 | 17.7 °C |
| 2015 | 18.6 °C |
| 2016 | 18.5 °C |
| 2017 | 18.0 °C |
| 2018 | 19.0 °C |
| 2019 | 17.3 °C |
| 2020 | 17.4 °C |
| 2021 | 17.8 °C |
| 2022 | 18.0 °C |
| 2023 | 17.5 °C |
| 2024 | 17.8 °C |
| 2025 | 17.6 °C |
| 2026 | 17.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1995, Norton Center's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 9 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Nws Boston/norton (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.