USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 12158 — Selkirk, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Alcove Dam, NY (607 ft), 8 miles southwest.
Updated
In Selkirk, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 160 days (NOAA, Alcove Dam, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 160 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 5
- Last snow
- March 28
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 45.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Selkirk
Half of springs at Alcove Dam, NY see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 18 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 12 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 160 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 141 one year in ten. On average 156 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 16, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Alcove Dam, 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 12158 →Compare Selkirk with another place →
Weather by month in Selkirk
July is the warmest month at Alcove Dam, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 13°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,281 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (724) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 597. Precipitation totals 42.5 inches a year, most in October (4.6") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 13 | 2.6 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Feb | 34 | 13 | 2.2 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 22 | 3.3 | 100% | 27 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 3.6 | 100% | 14 | 50 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.3 | 60% | 1 | 225 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 443 |
| Jul | 80 | 59 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 597 |
| Aug | 78 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 552 |
| Sep | 71 | 50 | 3.9 | 10% | <1 | 317 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 4.6 | 95% | 8 | 80 |
| Nov | 47 | 29 | 2.9 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
| Dec | 37 | 21 | 3.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Alcove Dam, NY (607 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, Valatie 1 N, NY, 10 miles southeast of Selkirk and 307 feet lower, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 27), a first frost 2 days later (October 14), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Selkirk, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Selkirk usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Alcove Dam, NY, 7.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12158
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 12158 is 8 miles from Alcove Dam, NY, which stands at 607 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 12158 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.