USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 13491 — West Winfield, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cooperstown, NY (1,257 ft), 16 miles southeast.
Updated
In West Winfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 7, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 154 days (NOAA, Cooperstown, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 154 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 12
- Last snow
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 85.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Winfield
Half of springs at Cooperstown, NY see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 20 20%, and after May 26 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 98% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 7 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 154 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 175 days one year in ten and falls short of 131 one year in ten. On average 155 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 20, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 24 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cooperstown, 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 13491 →Compare West Winfield with another place →
Weather by month in West Winfield
July is the warmest month at Cooperstown, NY, averaging 73°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 14°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,736 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 173 New York stations. 30% of them (525) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 490. Precipitation totals 47.6 inches a year, most in October (5.0") and least in January (3.1"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 14 | 3.1 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 26 | 14 | 3.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 35 | 22 | 3.6 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Apr | 48 | 34 | 4.2 | 100% | 15 | 28 |
| May | 60 | 45 | 3.7 | 66% | 3 | 151 |
| Jun | 68 | 54 | 4.7 | 3% | 0 | 343 |
| Jul | 73 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 490 |
| Aug | 71 | 57 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 437 |
| Sep | 64 | 50 | 4.2 | 23% | 1 | 230 |
| Oct | 52 | 39 | 5.0 | 94% | 7 | 49 |
| Nov | 39 | 30 | 3.2 | 100% | 20 | 5 |
| Dec | 29 | 21 | 3.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cooperstown, NY (1,257 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, 20 miles northeast of West Winfield and 364 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 5), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 4), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in West Winfield, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Winfield usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cooperstown, NY, 16 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13491
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 7 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 13491 is 16 miles from Cooperstown, NY, which stands at 1,257 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 13326 (Cooperstown). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13491 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.