USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 12804 — Queensbury, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Glens Falls Farm, NY (504 ft), under a mile south.
Updated
In Queensbury, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 17 in half of years and has passed by May 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 29, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 135 days (NOAA, Glens Falls Farm, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 17
- First fall frost
- September 29
- Growing season
- 135 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 24
- Last snow
- March 27
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Queensbury
Half of springs at Glens Falls Farm, NY see their last 32°F night by May 17; only one in ten is past it by May 1, and one in ten still has one after May 31. Planting tender crops after May 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 26 20%, and after May 31 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 29 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 20, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 135 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 154 days one year in ten and falls short of 116 one year in ten. On average 158 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 28, and return around September 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 12 and April 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 14 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 5 | Jun 9 |
| 32°F | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 | May 15 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 31 |
| 28°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 | May 20 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 20°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 6 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 |
| 32°F | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 |
| 28°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 24°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 20°F | Oct 14 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Glens Falls Farm, 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 12804 →Compare Queensbury with another place →
Weather by month in Queensbury
July is the warmest month at Glens Falls Farm, NY, averaging 84°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 6°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,285 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (730) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 629. Precipitation totals 46.6 inches a year, most in July (4.7") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 6 | 3.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 7 | 3.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 18 | 3.5 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Apr | 58 | 30 | 4.0 | 100% | 14 | 43 |
| May | 71 | 42 | 3.6 | 90% | 3 | 218 |
| Jun | 79 | 52 | 4.5 | 9% | 0 | 464 |
| Jul | 84 | 57 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 629 |
| Aug | 82 | 54 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 553 |
| Sep | 74 | 46 | 4.1 | 55% | 1 | 303 |
| Oct | 61 | 35 | 4.1 | 100% | 9 | 64 |
| Nov | 48 | 24 | 3.9 | 100% | 20 | 6 |
| Dec | 37 | 14 | 4.2 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Glens Falls Farm, NY (504 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, Glens Falls Airport, NY, 3 miles northeast of Queensbury and 183 feet lower, has a last frost 8 days earlier (May 9), a first frost 1 day later (September 30), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Queensbury, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Queensbury usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around March 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Glens Falls Farm, NY, 0.4 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 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12804
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 8 – March 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 19 – May 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 29 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 12804 is under a mile from Glens Falls Farm, NY, which stands at 504 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12804 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.