On November 15, 2023 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map, https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/. This map was last updated by USDA in 2012, and helps individuals “determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a location.” In addition to survival of garden & crop plants, Hardiness Zone has implications for invasive plants and pests, such as spotted lanternfly. Users can enter their zip code at the top of the map and the tool will tell the user the hardiness zone for the entered zip code. Users can also zoom in on their location and click on the map directly for the same information. Vermont zones range from 4a (-30 to-25 F) to 6a (-10 to -5 F).
