USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 11976 — Water Mill, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bridgehampton, NY (42 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Water Mill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Bridgehampton, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 182 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 12
- Last snow
- March 18
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 26.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Water Mill
Half of springs at Bridgehampton, NY see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 8 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 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 14 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 162 one year in ten. On average 106 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 13 days longer, to about May 6, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 16 and March 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 11 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 |
| 16°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bridgehampton, 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 11976 →Compare Water Mill with another place →
Weather by month in Water Mill
July is the warmest month at Bridgehampton, NY, averaging 81°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 23°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 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,678 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 173 New York stations. 27% of them (727) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 683. Precipitation totals 49.8 inches a year, most in December (5.0") and least in July (3.2"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 23 | 4.1 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Feb | 40 | 24 | 3.6 | 100% | 23 | 0 |
| Mar | 46 | 30 | 4.9 | 100% | 19 | 5 |
| Apr | 55 | 38 | 4.3 | 99% | 5 | 39 |
| May | 65 | 47 | 3.6 | 26% | <1 | 208 |
| Jun | 75 | 57 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 474 |
| Jul | 81 | 64 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 683 |
| Aug | 80 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Sep | 73 | 56 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 427 |
| Oct | 63 | 45 | 4.7 | 73% | 2 | 156 |
| Nov | 53 | 36 | 3.8 | 99% | 11 | 34 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 5.0 | 100% | 21 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bridgehampton, NY (42 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, Mattituck, NY, 10 miles northwest of Water Mill, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 19), a first frost 8 days later (November 1), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Water Mill, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Water Mill usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around March 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bridgehampton, NY, 3.3 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 11976
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 11976 is 3 miles from Bridgehampton, NY, which stands at 42 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 11937 (East Hampton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 11976 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.
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.