Your nature year
Burlington, Vermontthrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Burlington?
We follow 16 places within 150 miles of Burlington; the nearest lies 22 miles to the east. Smugglers’ Notch, 22 miles from Burlington, is the nearest fall foliage spot on this site, Sep 15–Oct 15 (statewide timing). Frost usually lets go around Apr 29 and comes back around Oct 15, according to the nearest NOAA station, Burlington International Airport: roughly 169 days without it. Spring green-up reaches town around Apr 17, with first blooms around May 15. The town is about 103 feet above sea level.
Updated Sep 27. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Best this weekend nearby
- Missisquoi Refuge · 30 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Oct 1–10
Sat Oct 3: Mostly Sunny, 62°F · Sun Oct 4: Chance Rain Showers, 63°F
No report yet - Nulhegan Basin · 77 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Oct 1–10
Sat Oct 3: Mostly Sunny, 55°F · Sun Oct 4: Mostly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers, 58°F
No report yet
Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service. 7 more nearby places have only regional or statewide timing, so they aren't listed.
Burlington's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 29 to ~Oct 15
- First leaf ~Apr 17
- First bloom ~May 15
- Today
Near Burlington right now
- First fall frost usually around Oct 15 · last spring frost around Apr 29NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Burlington International Airport (4.7 mi, 50% dates)~2 weeks
- Smugglers’ Notch · 22 mi · Statewide timing: Sep 15–Oct 15Fall foliage · in its window now
- Stowe · 27 mi · Statewide timing: Sep 15–Oct 15Fall foliage · in its window now
Burlington's nature year
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostApr
- Fall foliage · Smugglers’ NotchNowSep–Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Smugglers’ Notch · 22 miStatewide timing: Sep 15–Oct 15
- Stowe · 27 miStatewide timing: Sep 15–Oct 15
- Missisquoi Refuge · 30 miusually Oct 1–10~3 days
Snow in Burlington
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 7 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Burlington International Airport (4.7 mi away): 88 inches of snow in an average year, about 23.1 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 29
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 15
About 169 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 17
First bloom around May 15
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Burlington International Airport (4.7 mi from Burlington), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Burlington?
On average around Oct 15, and the last spring frost around Apr 29: about 169 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Burlington International Airport, 4.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Burlington?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 17 and first bloom around May 15, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Burlington?
Smugglers’ Notch, 22 miles (statewide timing: Sep 15–Oct 15); Stowe, 27 miles (statewide timing: Sep 15–Oct 15); Missisquoi Refuge, 30 miles (usually Oct 1–10). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Burlington?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 7: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Burlington International Airport. An average year brings 88 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27)