USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 13493 — Williamstown, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Camden, NY (580 ft), 7 miles southeast.
Updated
In Williamstown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 29 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 144 days (NOAA, Camden, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 12
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 144 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 10
- Last snow
- April 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 151.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Williamstown
Half of springs at Camden, NY see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 29. Planting tender crops after May 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 29 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% 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 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 17, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 144 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 166 days one year in ten and falls short of 123 one year in ten. On average 162 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 26, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 10 | May 16 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 9 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 23 | May 29 |
| 28°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 15 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Camden, 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 13493 →Compare Williamstown with another place →
Weather by month in Williamstown
July is the warmest month at Camden, NY, averaging 81°F by day and 56°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 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,184 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 77% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (673) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 570. Precipitation totals 50.0 inches a year, most in October (5.1") and least in March (3.3"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 11 | 3.9 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 3.4 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 20 | 3.3 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 4.1 | 100% | 17 | 45 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 4.3 | 81% | 4 | 207 |
| Jun | 76 | 52 | 4.4 | 7% | 0 | 414 |
| Jul | 81 | 56 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 570 |
| Aug | 79 | 55 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 532 |
| Sep | 73 | 48 | 4.3 | 33% | 1 | 313 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 5.1 | 96% | 9 | 85 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 4.4 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
| Dec | 35 | 19 | 4.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Camden, NY (580 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, Pulaski, NY, 15 miles northwest of Williamstown and 181 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 10), a first frost 9 days later (October 14), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Williamstown, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Williamstown usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Camden, NY, 7.1 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13493
| 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 13493 is 7 miles from Camden, NY, which stands at 580 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 13316 (Camden). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13493 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.