USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 12157 — Schoharie, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Schoharie, NY (734 ft), under a mile southwest.
Updated
In Schoharie, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Schoharie, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 163 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 Schoharie
Half of springs at Schoharie, NY see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 17 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 13 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 184 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 one year in ten. On average 144 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 13, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Schoharie, 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 12157 →Compare Schoharie with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY, 7 miles west of Schoharie and 435 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days later (May 9), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 4), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Schoharie, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Schoharie 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, 7.2 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 12157
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 12157 is under a mile from Schoharie, NY, which stands at 734 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12157 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.