USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 12413 — Cairo, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cairo 3 NW, NY (490 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Cairo, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 169 days (NOAA, Cairo 3 NW, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 169 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
- November 30
- Last snow
- March 29
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cairo
Half of springs at Cairo 3 NW, NY see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 14 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 169 days in a typical year, longer than at 64% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 148 one year in ten. On average 148 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 10, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cairo 3 NW, 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 12413 →Compare Cairo with another place →
Weather by month in Cairo
July is the warmest month at Cairo 3 NW, NY, averaging 84°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 16°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,720 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (876) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 683.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 37 | 17 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 25 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 59 | 36 | 99% | 12 | 73 |
| May | 71 | 47 | 42% | 1 | 277 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 515 |
| Jul | 84 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 683 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 8% | 1 | 391 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 89% | 8 | 118 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 16 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cairo 3 NW, NY (490 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, Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, 12 miles east of Cairo and 460 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 25), a first frost 4 days later (October 18), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Cairo, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cairo usually arrives around November 30, and the last of the season around March 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cairo 3 NW, NY, 1.4 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 31 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12413
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 12413 is 1 mile from Cairo 3 NW, NY, which stands at 490 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12413 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.