USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 12538 — Hyde Park, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Poughkeepsie, NY (251 ft), 4 miles south.
Updated
In Hyde Park, 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 21, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Poughkeepsie, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 183 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 9
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hyde Park
Half of springs at Poughkeepsie, NY see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 27 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 21 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 204 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 135 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 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Poughkeepsie, 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 12538 →Compare Hyde Park with another place →
Weather by month in Hyde Park
July is the warmest month at Poughkeepsie, NY, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 19°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 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,927 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 173 New York stations. 33% of them (956) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 716. Precipitation totals 47.1 inches a year, most in June (4.6") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 19 | 3.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 2.8 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 47 | 27 | 3.5 | 100% | 24 | 14 |
| Apr | 60 | 38 | 3.9 | 97% | 9 | 90 |
| May | 71 | 49 | 3.5 | 18% | <1 | 308 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Sep | 74 | 54 | 4.6 | 2% | 0 | 420 |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 4.6 | 75% | 5 | 134 |
| Nov | 51 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 25 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 3.8 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Poughkeepsie, NY (251 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, Rhinebeck 4SE, NY, 7 miles north of Hyde Park, has a last frost 23 days later (May 14), a first frost 23 days earlier (September 28), a season 49 days shorter.
When it snows in Hyde Park, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hyde Park usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Poughkeepsie, NY, 3.8 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 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12538
| 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 July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 12538 is 4 miles from Poughkeepsie, NY, which stands at 251 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 12601 (Poughkeepsie). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12538 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.