USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 12529 — Hillsdale, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Copake, NY (550 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Hillsdale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 160 days (NOAA, Copake, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 11
- 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
- November 26
- Last snow
- March 26
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 49.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hillsdale
Half of springs at Copake, NY see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 14 20%, and after May 19 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 11 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 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 7, 12 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 142 one year in ten. On average 157 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 12 days longer, to about May 16, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Copake, 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 12529 →Compare Hillsdale with another place →
Weather by month in Hillsdale
July is the warmest month at Copake, NY, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 14°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,577 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (811) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 663. Precipitation totals 43.5 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 14 | 3.1 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 37 | 15 | 2.3 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 3.3 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Apr | 59 | 34 | 3.3 | 100% | 15 | 65 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 4.6 | 63% | 3 | 246 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 491 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 4.5 | 9% | 1 | 367 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 4.2 | 94% | 10 | 103 |
| Nov | 50 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 20 | 18 |
| Dec | 39 | 21 | 3.4 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Copake, NY (550 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, 13 miles west of Hillsdale and 520 feet lower, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 25), a first frost 7 days later (October 18), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Hillsdale, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hillsdale usually arrives around November 26, and the last of the season around March 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Copake, NY, 6.3 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12529
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 23 – March 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 6 – April 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 12529 is 6 miles from Copake, NY, which stands at 550 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 12567 (Pine Plains). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12529 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.