Burlington, Vermont: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “Burlington” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (Burlington), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 05401, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station Burlington INTL AP, VT (USW00014742), 3 mi (5 km) from the ZCTA 05401 centroid, elevation 330 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeApril 291-in-10 after May 11

First fall freezeOctober 151-in-10 before Oct 2

Frost-free season≈ 169 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Apr 18 – Oct 28kills even hardy greens

USDA zone5b-15 to -10°F winter low — not frost timing

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to May 11

The Burlington year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant May 6 – May 20
Peas: plant March 18 – April 1
Garlic: plant cloves October 22 – October 29

All 79 crops in Burlington

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

Manchester, NH · Portland, ME · Syracuse, NY · Boston, MA · Hartford, CT