USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 13021 — Auburn, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Auburn, NY (770 ft), 1 miles northeast.
Updated
In Auburn, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 166 days (NOAA, Auburn, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 166 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 9
- Last snow
- April 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 109.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Auburn
Half of springs at Auburn, NY see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 18 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 October 18 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 7, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 166 days in a typical year, longer than at 58% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 185 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 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 13, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Auburn, 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 13021 →Compare Auburn with another place →
Weather by month in Auburn
July is the warmest month at Auburn, NY, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,530 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (801) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 643. Precipitation totals 44.4 inches a year, most in October (4.5") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 15 | 2.9 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 33 | 16 | 2.5 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 42 | 23 | 3.2 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 3.7 | 100% | 14 | 56 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 3.8 | 55% | 2 | 249 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 485 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 3.9 | 6% | <1 | 363 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 4.5 | 84% | 5 | 111 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 3.6 | 100% | 17 | 19 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 3.6 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Auburn, NY (770 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, Aurora Rsch Farm, NY, 14 miles south of Auburn, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 1), a first frost 3 days later (October 21), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Auburn, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Auburn usually arrives around November 9, and the last of the season around April 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Auburn, NY, 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 24 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13021
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 13021 is 1 mile from Auburn, NY, which stands at 770 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13021 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.