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USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

Frost Dates for 11786 — Shoreham, New York

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, NY (80 ft), 6 miles south.

Updated

In Shoreham, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, NY).

Last spring frost
April 21

50% probability

First fall frost
October 24

50% probability

Growing season
184 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7b

5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night

First snow
December 12

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 19

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

27 of 27 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Shoreham

Half of springs at Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, NY see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 29% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 one year in ten. On average 118 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 12 days longer, to about May 3, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 16 and March 8.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 22Apr 25Apr 29May 1May 3May 6May 9May 13May 17
32°FApr 7Apr 12Apr 15Apr 18Apr 21Apr 24Apr 27May 1May 6
28°FMar 26Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 7Apr 10Apr 13Apr 16Apr 20
24°FMar 11Mar 16Mar 20Mar 24Mar 27Mar 31Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7
20°FFeb 28Mar 6Mar 10Mar 13Mar 16Mar 19Mar 22Mar 27Mar 31
16°FFeb 18Feb 25Mar 1Mar 5Mar 8Mar 11Mar 15Mar 19Mar 25
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
32°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
24°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 13Dec 22
16°FNov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 21Dec 25Jan 1Jan 7

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, 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 11786 →Compare Shoreham with another place →

Compared with the next station

The nearest other station, Mt Sinai, NY, 7 miles west of Shoreham, has a last frost 17 days earlier (April 4), a first frost 14 days later (November 7), a season 31 days longer.

Frost dates for 11727 (Coram) →

When it snows in Shoreham, New York

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Shoreham usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, NY, 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 33 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 11786

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Shoreham, New York
WhenWhat to do
February 10 – February 24Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 24 – March 10Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 24 – April 7Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 21 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 1Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 10Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 24 onwardPlant 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 11786 is 6 miles from Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, NY, which stands at 80 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 11949 (Manorville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 11786 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.

Frost dates across New York →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 7b places in New York