USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 12839 — Hudson Falls, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Glens Falls Airport, NY (321 ft), 3 miles northwest.
Updated
In Hudson Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 30, as early as September 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 143 days (NOAA, Glens Falls Airport, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- September 30
- Growing season
- 143 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 Hudson Falls
Half of springs at Glens Falls Airport, NY see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 25. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 25 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 September 30 in half of years, as early as September 18 one year in ten, and holds off past October 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 143 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 161 days one year in ten and falls short of 121 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 14 days longer, to about May 23, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 19 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 25 |
| 28°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 |
| 32°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 7 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 20°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Glens Falls Airport, 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 12839 →Compare Hudson Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Hudson Falls
July is the warmest month at Glens Falls Airport, NY, averaging 82°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 10°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,263 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (723) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 609. Precipitation totals 38.4 inches a year, most in July (4.3") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 10 | 2.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 11 | 2.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 21 | 2.8 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 44 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.4 | 75% | 3 | 224 |
| Jun | 77 | 53 | 3.7 | 2% | 0 | 450 |
| Jul | 82 | 58 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 609 |
| Aug | 80 | 56 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 550 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 3.3 | 51% | 1 | 300 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 3.7 | 100% | 10 | 72 |
| Nov | 47 | 28 | 3.0 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 35 | 18 | 3.0 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Glens Falls Airport, NY (321 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 Farm, NY, 5 miles west of Hudson Falls and 183 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days later (May 17), a first frost 1 day earlier (September 29), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Hudson Falls, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hudson Falls 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, 5.3 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 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12839
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 30 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 12839 is 3 miles from Glens Falls Airport, NY, which stands at 321 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12839 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.