USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 13069 — Fulton, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fulton, NY (360 ft), 1 miles south.
Updated
In Fulton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 180 days (NOAA, Fulton, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 180 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 8
- Last snow
- April 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 140.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fulton
Half of springs at Fulton, NY see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 94% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 132 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 7, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fulton, 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 13069 →Compare Fulton with another place →
Weather by month in Fulton
July is the warmest month at Fulton, NY, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 14°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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,538 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (814) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 634. Precipitation totals 46.8 inches a year, most in October (4.7") and least in March (3.5"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 14 | 3.8 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 16 | 3.7 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 3.5 | 100% | 24 | 10 |
| Apr | 55 | 35 | 3.9 | 99% | 12 | 54 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 3.8 | 35% | 1 | 263 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 488 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 3.5 | 4% | 0 | 354 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 4.7 | 64% | 2 | 101 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 4.0 | 100% | 15 | 17 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 4.4 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fulton, NY (360 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, Oswego, NY, 11 miles northwest of Fulton, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 5 days later (October 29), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Fulton, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fulton usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around April 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Oswego, NY, 11.1 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 18 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13069
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 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 13069 is 1 mile from Fulton, NY, which stands at 360 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 13069 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.