USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 12962 — Morrisonville, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dannemora, NY (1,340 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Morrisonville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 157 days (NOAA, Dannemora, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 157 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 14
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Morrisonville
Half of springs at Dannemora, NY see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 23, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 21 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 11 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 157 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 176 days one year in ten and falls short of 139 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 10 days longer, to about May 16, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and April 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dannemora, 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 12962 →Compare Morrisonville with another place →
Weather by month in Morrisonville
July is the warmest month at Dannemora, NY, averaging 79°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 9°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 70% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,253 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (710) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 591. Precipitation totals 43.4 inches a year, most in June (4.9") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 9 | 2.9 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 2.3 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 20 | 2.8 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Apr | 53 | 33 | 3.8 | 100% | 15 | 42 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 4.0 | 70% | 2 | 225 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 437 |
| Jul | 79 | 59 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 539 |
| Sep | 71 | 50 | 3.9 | 13% | <1 | 320 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 4.7 | 95% | 8 | 85 |
| Nov | 44 | 28 | 2.9 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 33 | 16 | 2.9 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dannemora, NY (1,340 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, Plattsburgh International Airport, NY, 7 miles southeast of Morrisonville and 1,106 feet lower, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 6 days earlier (October 5), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Morrisonville, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Morrisonville usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Peru 2 WSW, NY, 10.1 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12962
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 12962 is 7 miles from Dannemora, NY, which stands at 1,340 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12962 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.