USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 12887 — Whitehall, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Whitehall, NY (119 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Whitehall, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Whitehall, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 164 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 21
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Whitehall
Half of springs at Whitehall, NY see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 18, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 14 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 October 12 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 143 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 11, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Whitehall, 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 12887 →Compare Whitehall with another place →
Weather by month in Whitehall
July is the warmest month at Whitehall, NY, averaging 84°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 12°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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,765 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 72% of the 173 New York stations. 33% of them (910) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 694. Precipitation totals 42.8 inches a year, most in August (4.5") and least in February (2.6"); 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 | 12 | 3.0 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 13 | 2.6 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 22 | 3.0 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
| Apr | 58 | 35 | 3.3 | 100% | 11 | 69 |
| May | 71 | 47 | 3.3 | 50% | 1 | 301 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 534 |
| Jul | 84 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Aug | 82 | 60 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 3.6 | 15% | <1 | 390 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 4.1 | 95% | 5 | 111 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 3.0 | 100% | 18 | 14 |
| Dec | 36 | 21 | 3.6 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Whitehall, NY (119 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, 18 miles southwest of Whitehall and 202 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days later (May 9), a first frost 12 days earlier (September 30), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Whitehall, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Whitehall usually arrives around November 21, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Whitehall, NY, 1.1 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12887
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 12887 is 1 mile from Whitehall, NY, which stands at 119 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 12832 (Granville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12887 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.