USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 13339 — Fort Plain, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cherry Valley 2 NNE, NY (1,360 ft), 10 miles southwest.
Updated
In Fort Plain, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 152 days (NOAA, Cherry Valley 2 NNE, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 152 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 5
- Last snow
- April 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Plain
Half of springs at Cherry Valley 2 NNE, NY see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 23, and one in ten still has one after May 24. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 24 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 96% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 6 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 10, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 152 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 172 days one year in ten and falls short of 133 one year in ten. On average 154 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 14 days longer, to about May 20, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 4 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 18 | May 24 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 20°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cherry Valley 2 NNE, 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 13339 →Compare Fort Plain with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Fort Plain
In Fort Plain, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 24 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 24, 123 days later; that gap is shorter than at 73% of the 173 New York stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 31 days (April 23 to May 24) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 26 days (September 24 to October 20): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Little Falls City Rsch, NY, 14 miles northwest, the same gap runs from May 20 to September 21, 1 day longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 22 | over 90% | 63% |
| Apr 29 | 73% | 37% |
| May 650% date | 50% | 18% |
| May 13 | 28% | under 10% |
| May 20 | 17% | under 10% |
| May 27 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Fort Plain
July is the warmest month at Cherry Valley 2 NNE, NY, averaging 78°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 13°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 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,117 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 82% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (670) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 555.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 13 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 31 | 14 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 22 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 46 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 67% | 2 | 205 |
| Jun | 74 | 54 | 1% | 0 | 415 |
| Jul | 78 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 555 |
| Aug | 76 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 504 |
| Sep | 69 | 50 | 25% | 1 | 297 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 99% | 9 | 79 |
| Nov | 45 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 12 |
| Dec | 34 | 20 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cherry Valley 2 NNE, NY (1,360 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, Little Falls City Rsch, NY, 14 miles northwest of Fort Plain and 467 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 5), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 4), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Fort Plain, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fort Plain usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cherry Valley 2 NNE, NY, 9.5 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 19 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13339
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 13339 is 10 miles from Cherry Valley 2 NNE, NY, which stands at 1,360 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 13339 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.