USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 12563 — Patterson, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carmel 4N, NY (680 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Patterson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Carmel 4N, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 170 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 Patterson
Half of springs at Carmel 4N, NY see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 14 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 189 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 137 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 10, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carmel 4N, 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 12563 →Compare Patterson with another place →
Weather by month in Patterson
July is the warmest month at Carmel 4N, NY, averaging 78°F by day and 61°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,370 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (746) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 604. Precipitation totals 50.5 inches a year, most in December (5.0") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 3.9 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 3.0 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 44 | 26 | 4.2 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 3.6 | 100% | 8 | 65 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 4.1 | 39% | 1 | 230 |
| Jun | 74 | 56 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 442 |
| Jul | 78 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 604 |
| Aug | 76 | 60 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 561 |
| Sep | 70 | 53 | 4.9 | 4% | 0 | 345 |
| Oct | 60 | 41 | 4.2 | 89% | 4 | 97 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 3.9 | 100% | 19 | 15 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 5.0 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carmel 4N, NY (680 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, Stormville, NY, 9 miles west of Patterson and 235 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 21), a first frost 9 days later (October 25), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Patterson, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Patterson 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, 9 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 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12563
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 12563 is 4 miles from Carmel 4N, NY, which stands at 680 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 10512 (Carmel). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12563 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.