USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 13838 — Sidney, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from E Sidney, NY (1,155 ft), 9 miles east.
Updated
In Sidney, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 151 days (NOAA, E Sidney, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 151 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 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 79.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sidney
Half of springs at E Sidney, NY see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 26 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 29% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 9 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 151 days in a typical year, shorter than at 72% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 171 days one year in ten and falls short of 130 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 13 days longer, to about May 24, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 8 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 5 |
| 20°F | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at E Sidney, 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 13838 →Compare Sidney with another place →
Weather by month in Sidney
July is the warmest month at E Sidney, NY, averaging 82°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°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 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,242 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (710) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 592.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 11 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 12 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 19 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 57 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 50 |
| May | 69 | 42 | 79% | 4 | 219 |
| Jun | 77 | 52 | 2% | <1 | 433 |
| Jul | 82 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Aug | 79 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 529 |
| Sep | 73 | 48 | 18% | 1 | 316 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 95% | 8 | 84 |
| Nov | 47 | 28 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
| Dec | 37 | 20 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at E Sidney, NY (1,155 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, Walton 2, NY, 15 miles southeast of Sidney and 325 feet higher, has a last frost 10 days later (May 21), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 1), a season 19 days shorter.
When it snows in Sidney, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sidney usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Unadilla 2 N, NY, 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13838
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 9 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 13838 is 9 miles from E Sidney, NY, which stands at 1,155 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 13733 (Bainbridge). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13838 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.