Use your town's frost date
Each town page gives the median date of the first fall frost and the last spring frost, from NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for the nearest station. Across the country those dates run from early fall in the northern plains and mountains to midwinter near the Gulf Coast, and to no frost at all in a few places.
- Fall cleaning: book it for after the first frost, once the trees over the roof are bare. Booked earlier, it often needs a second visit.
- Spring cleaning: after the last frost and after the trees have dropped their flowers, catkins and seeds.
Adjust for the trees
| Over the roof | Typical rhythm |
|---|---|
| Pines, firs, spruces | Two visits or more; needles fall all year |
| Oaks, maples, other hardwoods | Fall and spring |
| No trees within reach | Once a year |
Adjust for snow and storms
Where snow is heavy, clear the gutters before the first snowfall: a gutter full of leaves holds ice. After a storm that brings down branches, check the gutters even if they were cleaned recently. Your town's page gives its snow normal and its days with an inch of rain or more.
Between visits
During a hard rain, walk around the house once. Water sheeting over the front, a silent downspout, or a splash at the foundation shows where the trouble is.