USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 13118 — Moravia, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Aurora Rsch Farm, NY (830 ft), 13 miles west.
Updated
In Moravia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Aurora Rsch Farm, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 172 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
- November 15
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 56.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Moravia
Half of springs at Aurora Rsch Farm, NY see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 16 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 21 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 131 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 9 days longer, to about May 10, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Aurora Rsch Farm, 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 13118 →Compare Moravia with another place →
Weather by month in Moravia
July is the warmest month at Aurora Rsch Farm, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 17°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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,527 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (809) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 629. Precipitation totals 37.1 inches a year, most in June (3.8") and least in February (1.9"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 17 | 2.1 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 1.9 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Apr | 54 | 35 | 3.3 | 100% | 12 | 60 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 3.1 | 50% | 1 | 254 |
| Jun | 76 | 57 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 484 |
| Jul | 80 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 629 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 3.8 | 3% | <1 | 365 |
| Oct | 59 | 42 | 3.8 | 79% | 3 | 117 |
| Nov | 47 | 33 | 2.9 | 100% | 14 | 22 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 2.6 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Aurora Rsch Farm, NY (830 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, Auburn, NY, 14 miles northwest of Moravia, has a last frost 1 day later (May 2), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 18), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Moravia, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Moravia usually arrives around November 15, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Aurora Rsch Farm, NY, 12.6 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13118
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 13118 is 13 miles from Aurora Rsch Farm, NY, which stands at 830 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13118 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.