First Frost and the Growing Season

When it comes to autumn in Connecticut, anything can be expected!

Let’s take a look at some facts about the end of the growing season…

Average first frost: October 9th

While the first frost can sometimes happen in late September or sometimes not even until November, this is the date to keep in mind. As we move from summer into fall, make sure to prepare plants for the first frost of the season, which brings an end to Connecticut’s growing season. Temperatures quickly drop through the month of October. In addition, the sun angle lowers, the length of days gets shorter and it is time to get ready for the inevitable: winter.

Although most Octobers tend to be snow-free, snow is no stranger in the month, even before 2011. While accumulating snow is rare, one of out every three Octobers, or so, will feature some kind of snow. In most cases, it’s a passing flurry or maybe some rain ending as wet snow. In any case, the average low temperature by Halloween drops to 36 degrees, so by that point, you need to bring indoors any plant that is vulnerable to the cold.

We know that November can be another messy month for weather. In November of 2002, an ice storm caused havoc across northern parts of the state. So, the moral of this story is, be prepared for anything that autumn weather might throw at us!