When to plant in South Hadley, MA
Planting dates worked out from South Hadley's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 16
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 7
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 10
1 year in 10 by Sep 29
Frost-free days
156
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Westfield Barnes Muni Ap · 15.8 km away · station 80 m, town 75 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 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 19 |
| Peas | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 28 |
| Bush beans | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jun 28 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 16 – May 28 | Jun 15 |
| Beet | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Potato | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 25 |
| Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 8 |
| Cucumber | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jun 30 |
| Winter squash | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jul 8 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 26 – Oct 24 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 11 |
| Basil | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 12 |
South Hadley'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 |
|---|---|
| 1949 | Apr 29 |
| 1950 | Apr 30 |
| 1951 | May 14 |
| 1999 | May 13 |
| 2000 | May 16 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | May 5 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 5 |
| 2009 | May 19 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | Apr 25 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | May 10 |
| 2017 | May 4 |
| 2018 | Apr 24 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2022 | May 1 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1949 | 149 |
| 1950 | 147 |
| 1951 | 138 |
| 1999 | 145 |
| 2000 | 134 |
| 2001 | 152 |
| 2002 | 144 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 153 |
| 2005 | 160 |
| 2006 | 158 |
| 2007 | 151 |
| 2008 | 154 |
| 2009 | 144 |
| 2010 | 149 |
| 2011 | 173 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 160 |
| 2014 | 163 |
| 2015 | 173 |
| 2016 | 153 |
| 2017 | 165 |
| 2018 | 176 |
| 2019 | 158 |
| 2020 | 127 |
| 2021 | 192 |
| 2022 | 160 |
| 2023 | 158 |
| 2024 | 170 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1949 | 17.9 °C |
| 1950 | 15.9 °C |
| 1951 | 16.7 °C |
| 1999 | 17.5 °C |
| 2000 | 16.1 °C |
| 2001 | 17.1 °C |
| 2002 | 17.4 °C |
| 2003 | 16.7 °C |
| 2004 | 17.2 °C |
| 2005 | 17.9 °C |
| 2006 | 17.3 °C |
| 2007 | 17.1 °C |
| 2008 | 17.3 °C |
| 2009 | 16.9 °C |
| 2010 | 19.1 °C |
| 2011 | 18.6 °C |
| 2012 | 18.6 °C |
| 2013 | 17.9 °C |
| 2014 | 17.6 °C |
| 2015 | 18.4 °C |
| 2016 | 18.2 °C |
| 2017 | 17.7 °C |
| 2018 | 18.1 °C |
| 2019 | 17.7 °C |
| 2020 | 17.8 °C |
| 2021 | 18.4 °C |
| 2022 | 18.3 °C |
| 2023 | 17.8 °C |
| 2024 | 18.6 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Westfield Barnes Muni Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.