USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 13850 — Vestal, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Endicott, NY (827 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Vestal, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 159 days (NOAA, Endicott, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 5
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 159 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 Vestal
Half of springs at Endicott, NY see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 23, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 21 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 12 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 159 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 181 days one year in ten and falls short of 139 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 12 days longer, to about May 17, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 27 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 25 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Endicott, 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 13850 →Compare Vestal with another place →
Weather by month in Vestal
July is the warmest month at Endicott, NY, averaging 82°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,466 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (775) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 623.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 15 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 36 | 15 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Apr | 58 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 56 |
| May | 70 | 44 | 66% | 2 | 241 |
| Jun | 78 | 53 | 1% | 0 | 471 |
| Jul | 82 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Aug | 81 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 584 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 13% | 1 | 364 |
| Oct | 61 | 39 | 88% | 10 | 103 |
| Nov | 49 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 17 |
| Dec | 39 | 22 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Endicott, NY (827 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, 9 miles north of Vestal and 779 feet higher, has a last frost 3 days earlier (May 2), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 11), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Vestal, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Vestal 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, 8.8 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 25 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 13850
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 24 – March 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 7 – April 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 13850 is 3 miles from Endicott, NY, which stands at 827 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 13760 (Endicott). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13850 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.