USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 12779 — South Fallsburg, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rock Hill 3 SW, NY (1,270 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In South Fallsburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 22 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 152 days (NOAA, Rock Hill 3 SW, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 152 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 24
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 57.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in South Fallsburg
Half of springs at Rock Hill 3 SW, NY see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 22 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 7 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 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 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 152 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 172 days one year in ten and falls short of 135 one year in ten. On average 160 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 19, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rock Hill 3 SW, 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 12779 →Compare South Fallsburg with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Liberty 1 NE, NY, 9 miles northwest of South Fallsburg and 310 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (May 9), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 5), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in South Fallsburg, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in South Fallsburg usually arrives around November 26, and the last of the season around March 24. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Rock Hill 3 SW, NY, 7.9 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 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12779
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 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 12779 is 8 miles from Rock Hill 3 SW, NY, which stands at 1,270 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 12701 (Monticello). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12779 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.