USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 12531 — Holmes, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stormville, NY (915 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Holmes, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 185 days (NOAA, Stormville, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 185 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 22
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 57.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Holmes
Half of springs at Stormville, NY see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 4 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 83% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 185 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 one year in ten. On average 132 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 2, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stormville, 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 12531 →Compare Holmes with another place →
Weather by month in Holmes
July is the warmest month at Stormville, NY, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 17°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 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,951 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (953) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 714. Precipitation totals 49.0 inches a year, most in September (5.1") and least in February (3.4"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 17 | 3.7 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 19 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 4.0 | 100% | 24 | 13 |
| Apr | 61 | 38 | 3.8 | 99% | 9 | 100 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 3.6 | 19% | <1 | 317 |
| Jun | 77 | 58 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 522 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 714 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Sep | 74 | 55 | 5.1 | 1% | <1 | 433 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 4.7 | 76% | 3 | 147 |
| Nov | 50 | 32 | 3.9 | 100% | 16 | 23 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 4.1 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stormville, NY (915 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, Carmel 4N, NY, 3 miles south of Holmes and 235 feet lower, has a last frost 7 days later (April 28), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 16), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Holmes, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Holmes usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Stormville, NY, 3.3 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 15 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12531
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 12531 is 3 miles from Stormville, NY, which stands at 915 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 12533 (Hopewell Junction). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12531 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.