USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 12306 — Schenectady, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Delanson 2NE, NY (984 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Schenectady, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 7, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 153 days (NOAA, Delanson 2NE, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 153 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 14
- Last snow
- April 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 59.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Schenectady
Half of springs at Delanson 2NE, NY see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 23 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 71% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 7 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 153 days in a typical year, shorter than at 68% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 172 days one year in ten and falls short of 132 one year in ten. On average 154 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 18, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 14 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Delanson 2NE, 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 12306 →Compare Schenectady with another place →
Weather by month in Schenectady
July is the warmest month at Delanson 2NE, NY, averaging 82°F by day and 59°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 69% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,350 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (760) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 621.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 12 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 13 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 20 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 54 |
| May | 70 | 44 | 69% | 1 | 242 |
| Jun | 77 | 54 | 1% | 0 | 457 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 621 |
| Aug | 80 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Sep | 74 | 49 | 22% | <1 | 337 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 97% | 7 | 73 |
| Nov | 48 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Delanson 2NE, NY (984 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, Albany Airport, NY, 10 miles east of Schenectady and 672 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (April 27), a first frost 8 days later (October 15), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Schenectady, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Schenectady usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Albany Airport, NY, 9.8 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12306
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 7 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 12306 is 9 miles from Delanson 2NE, NY, which stands at 984 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12306 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.