USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 13815 — Norwich, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Norwich, NY (989 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Norwich, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 13 in half of years and has passed by May 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 142 days (NOAA, Norwich, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 13
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 142 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 8
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 74.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Norwich
Half of springs at Norwich, NY see their last 32°F night by May 13; only one in ten is past it by April 28, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 27 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 63% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 20 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 17, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 142 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 162 days one year in ten and falls short of 123 one year in ten. On average 160 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 26, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 11 | May 16 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 28 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 27 |
| 28°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 20°F | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Norwich, 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 13815 →Compare Norwich with another place →
Weather by month in Norwich
July is the warmest month at Norwich, NY, averaging 81°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 12°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 83% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,236 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (708) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 584. Precipitation totals 45.3 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 12 | 3.2 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 12 | 2.7 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 20 | 3.5 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Apr | 57 | 32 | 3.8 | 100% | 16 | 48 |
| May | 69 | 43 | 3.6 | 83% | 4 | 213 |
| Jun | 77 | 52 | 5.0 | 3% | <1 | 442 |
| Jul | 81 | 57 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 584 |
| Aug | 79 | 55 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 538 |
| Sep | 73 | 48 | 4.0 | 35% | 1 | 313 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 3.9 | 99% | 9 | 82 |
| Nov | 47 | 27 | 3.2 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Dec | 37 | 20 | 3.6 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Norwich, NY (989 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, Sherburne, NY, 9 miles north of Norwich, has the same 50% last-frost date, the same first-frost date, a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Norwich, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Norwich usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Norwich, NY, 2.1 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13815
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 4 – March 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 15 – April 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 13815 is 2 miles from Norwich, NY, which stands at 989 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13815 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.