USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 13797 — Lisle, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Whitney Pt Dam, NY (1,040 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Lisle, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Whitney Pt Dam, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 163 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 3
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 86.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lisle
Half of springs at Whitney Pt Dam, NY see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 20 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 16 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 185 days one year in ten and falls short of 140 one year in ten. On average 150 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 17, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 | May 27 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Whitney Pt Dam, 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 13797 →Compare Lisle with another place →
Weather by month in Lisle
July is the warmest month at Whitney Pt Dam, NY, averaging 81°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 61% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,290 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 173 New York stations. 30% of them (697) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 601.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 15 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 14 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 21 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Apr | 56 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 42 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 61% | 2 | 218 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 0% | 0 | 428 |
| Jul | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 601 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 552 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 11% | <1 | 329 |
| Oct | 61 | 39 | 84% | 4 | 98 |
| Nov | 48 | 30 | 100% | 20 | 12 |
| Dec | 37 | 22 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Whitney Pt Dam, NY (1,040 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, Binghamton, NY, 10 miles south of Lisle and 566 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 2), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 11), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Lisle, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lisle usually arrives around November 3, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Binghamton, NY, 9.6 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 24 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13797
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 23 – March 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 6 – April 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 13797 is 3 miles from Whitney Pt Dam, NY, which stands at 1,040 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 13778 (Greene). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13797 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.