USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 12776 — Roscoe, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Callicoon Ctr, NY (1,221 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In Roscoe, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 7, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 146 days (NOAA, Callicoon Ctr, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 12
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 146 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 15
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 69.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Roscoe
Half of springs at Callicoon Ctr, NY see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 28 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 7 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 17, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 146 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 167 days one year in ten and falls short of 126 one year in ten. On average 164 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 24, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 8 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Callicoon Ctr, 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 12776 →Compare Roscoe with another place →
Weather by month in Roscoe
July is the warmest month at Callicoon Ctr, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 13°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,103 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (644) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 573.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 13 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 12 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 21 | 100% | 27 | 7 |
| Apr | 56 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 48 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 76% | 3 | 192 |
| Jun | 75 | 52 | 5% | <1 | 397 |
| Jul | 80 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 573 |
| Aug | 77 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 502 |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 22% | 1 | 297 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 99% | 9 | 78 |
| Nov | 47 | 28 | 100% | 24 | 8 |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Callicoon Ctr, NY (1,221 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, Liberty 1 NE, NY, 15 miles southeast of Roscoe and 359 feet higher, has a last frost 3 days earlier (May 9), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 5), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Roscoe, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Roscoe usually arrives around November 15, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Liberty 1 NE, NY, 14.6 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12776
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 3 – March 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 7 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 12776 is 8 miles from Callicoon Ctr, NY, which stands at 1,221 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12776 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.