USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 12015 — Athens, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hudson Correctional Facility, NY (30 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Athens, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 176 days (NOAA, Hudson Correctional Facility, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 176 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 11
- Last snow
- March 2
- Winters with snow
- 76%
- Snow per year
- 31"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Athens
Half of springs at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 10 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 18 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 176 days in a typical year, longer than at 73% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 127 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 5, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hudson Correctional Facility, 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 12015 →Compare Athens with another place →
Weather by month in Athens
July is the warmest month at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°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 30% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,138 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 173 New York stations. 34% of them (1,071) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 742. Precipitation totals 44.2 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 18 | 2.7 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 38 | 19 | 2.6 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 16 |
| Apr | 63 | 38 | 3.6 | 100% | 8 | 112 |
| May | 74 | 49 | 3.5 | 30% | 1 | 358 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 585 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Sep | 75 | 55 | 4.3 | 4% | <1 | 450 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 4.2 | 87% | 4 | 161 |
| Nov | 51 | 33 | 3.0 | 100% | 15 | 27 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 3.6 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY (30 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, Cairo 3 NW, NY, 11 miles west of Athens and 460 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days later (April 29), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 14), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Athens, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Athens usually arrives around December 11, and the last of the season around March 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, 2.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 76% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 54 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12015
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 12015 is 3 miles from Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, which stands at 30 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 12534 (Hudson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12015 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.