USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 12983 — Saranac Lake, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ray Brook, NY (1,620 ft), 4 miles southeast.
Updated
In Saranac Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 21 in half of years and has passed by June 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 24, as early as September 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 123 days (NOAA, Ray Brook, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 21
- First fall frost
- September 24
- Growing season
- 123 days
- Hardiness zone
- 4a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 22
- Last snow
- April 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 104.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Saranac Lake
Half of springs at Ray Brook, NY see their last 32°F night by May 21; only one in ten is past it by May 7, and one in ten still has one after June 5. Planting tender crops after May 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 1 20%, and after June 5 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 September 24 in half of years, as early as September 7 one year in ten, and holds off past October 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 25, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 123 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 145 days one year in ten and falls short of 100 one year in ten. On average 192 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 13 days longer, to about June 3, and return around September 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and April 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 20 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 9 | Jun 13 | Jun 22 |
| 32°F | May 7 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 21 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 |
| 28°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 8 | May 12 | May 14 | May 18 | May 25 |
| 24°F | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 20°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 22 | Aug 31 | Sep 4 | Sep 7 | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 |
| 32°F | Sep 7 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 8 |
| 28°F | Sep 22 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 3 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 8 |
| 20°F | Oct 16 | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 16°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ray Brook, 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 12983 →Compare Saranac Lake with another place →
Weather by month in Saranac Lake
July is the warmest month at Ray Brook, NY, averaging 74°F by day and 53°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 5°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,440 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 173 New York stations. 29% of them (419) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 425.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 26 | 5 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 34 | 14 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Apr | 48 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 16 |
| May | 61 | 39 | 97% | 9 | 109 |
| Jun | 70 | 49 | 20% | 1 | 293 |
| Jul | 74 | 53 | 1% | 0 | 425 |
| Aug | 72 | 51 | 4% | <1 | 369 |
| Sep | 66 | 44 | 70% | 5 | 186 |
| Oct | 52 | 36 | 99% | 15 | 38 |
| Nov | 40 | 26 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Dec | 27 | 15 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ray Brook, NY (1,620 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, Lake Placid 2 S, NY, 9 miles east of Saranac Lake and 268 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days later (May 27), a first frost 2 days earlier (September 22), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Saranac Lake, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Saranac Lake usually arrives around October 22, and the last of the season around April 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lake Placid 2 S, NY, 9.2 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 12983
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 12 – March 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 23 – May 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 24 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 12983 is 4 miles from Ray Brook, NY, which stands at 1,620 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 12983 in zone 4a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°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.