USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 12149 — Richmondville, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY (1,169 ft), 7 miles east.
Updated
In Richmondville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 148 days (NOAA, Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 148 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 19
- Last snow
- March 30
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 53.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Richmondville
Half of springs at Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 20 20%, and after May 26 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 15, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 148 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 168 days one year in ten and falls short of 126 one year in ten. On average 155 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 11 days longer, to about May 20, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 4 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cobleskill 2 ESE, 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 12149 →Compare Richmondville with another place →
Weather by month in Richmondville
July is the warmest month at Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 12°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,209 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (687) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 586. Precipitation totals 41.0 inches a year, most in August (4.3") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 12 | 2.5 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 33 | 13 | 2.2 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 21 | 3.1 | 100% | 27 | 5 |
| Apr | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 15 | 46 |
| May | 67 | 44 | 3.7 | 77% | 1 | 205 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.2 | 5% | <1 | 431 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 4.3 | 1% | <1 | 534 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.6 | 33% | 1 | 307 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 3.9 | 97% | 8 | 81 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.8 | 100% | 19 | 12 |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 3.1 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY (1,169 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, Lansing Manor, NY, 14 miles southeast of Richmondville, has a last frost 9 days later (May 18), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 2), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Richmondville, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Richmondville usually arrives around November 19, and the last of the season around March 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY, 7 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 40 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12149
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 12149 is 7 miles from Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY, which stands at 1,169 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 12043 (Cobleskill). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12149 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.