USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 13101 — Mc Graw, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tully Heiberg Forest, NY (1,899 ft), 12 miles north.
Updated
In Mc Graw, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Tully Heiberg Forest, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 12
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 147 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 29
- Last snow
- April 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 117.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mc Graw
Half of springs at Tully Heiberg Forest, NY see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 29, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 28 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 5 in half of years, as early as September 22 one year in ten, and holds off past October 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 17, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 167 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 164 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 May 25, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and April 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 9 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 8 |
| 32°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 28 |
| 28°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 20°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 16°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 12 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tully Heiberg Forest, 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 13101 →Compare Mc Graw with another place →
Weather by month in Mc Graw
July is the warmest month at Tully Heiberg Forest, NY, averaging 77°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 11°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 84% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,962 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 173 New York stations. 30% of them (596) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 525. Precipitation totals 48.7 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in January (2.9"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 11 | 2.9 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 31 | 12 | 2.9 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 20 | 3.7 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Apr | 52 | 31 | 4.2 | 100% | 17 | 39 |
| May | 65 | 43 | 3.6 | 84% | 4 | 178 |
| Jun | 73 | 52 | 5.1 | 3% | 0 | 374 |
| Jul | 77 | 57 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 525 |
| Aug | 76 | 55 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 488 |
| Sep | 69 | 48 | 4.9 | 31% | 1 | 269 |
| Oct | 57 | 38 | 4.5 | 96% | 10 | 72 |
| Nov | 45 | 28 | 3.9 | 100% | 21 | 11 |
| Dec | 34 | 18 | 3.6 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tully Heiberg Forest, NY (1,899 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, Ithaca 13 E, NY, 14 miles southwest of Mc Graw and 671 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (May 13), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 4), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Mc Graw, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mc Graw usually arrives around October 29, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tully Heiberg Forest, NY, 11.5 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 13101
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 3 – March 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 13101 is 12 miles from Tully Heiberg Forest, NY, which stands at 1,899 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 13077 (Homer). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13101 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.