USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 10940 — Middletown, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Middletown 2 NW, NY (700 ft), under a mile northwest.
Updated
In Middletown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Middletown 2 NW, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 182 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 6
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Middletown
Half of springs at Middletown 2 NW, NY see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 202 days one year in ten and falls short of 161 one year in ten. On average 123 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 10 days longer, to about May 1, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Middletown 2 NW, NY, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 10940 →Compare Middletown with another place →
Weather by month in Middletown
July is the warmest month at Middletown 2 NW, NY, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 18°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,813 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 173 New York stations. 33% of them (925) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 691. Precipitation totals 44.4 inches a year, most in June (4.6") and least in February (2.1"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 2.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Feb | 37 | 18 | 2.1 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Mar | 47 | 26 | 3.0 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
| Apr | 60 | 38 | 4.0 | 99% | 6 | 88 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 3.8 | 20% | <1 | 297 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 529 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 691 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Sep | 73 | 53 | 4.3 | 3% | 0 | 402 |
| Oct | 62 | 43 | 4.6 | 81% | 3 | 137 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.2 | 100% | 14 | 20 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 3.5 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Middletown 2 NW, NY (700 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Montgomery Orange Airport, NY, 10 miles northeast of Middletown and 335 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days later (May 1), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 11), a season 19 days shorter.
When it snows in Middletown, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Middletown usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Gardnerville, NY, 7.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 31 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 10940
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 10940 is under a mile from Middletown 2 NW, NY, which stands at 700 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 10940 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.