USDA Hardiness Zone 5a

Frost Dates for 13856 — Walton, New York

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Walton 2, NY (1,480 ft), under a mile north.

Updated October 28, 2026

In Walton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 21 in half of years and has passed by June 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 132 days (NOAA, Walton 2, NY).

Last spring frost: May 21
First fall frost: October 1
Growing season: 132 days
Hardiness zone: 5a

First snow: November 7
Last snow: April 10
Winters with snow: 100%
Snow per year: 70.6"

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Frost risk by date in Walton

Half of springs at Walton 2, NY see their last 32°F night by May 21; only one in ten is past it by May 2, and one in ten still has one after June 5. Planting tender crops after May 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 31 20%, and after June 5 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 1 in half of years, as early as September 20 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 24, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 132 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 154 days one year in ten and falls short of 111 one year in ten. On average 173 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 10 days longer, to about May 31, and return around September 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 18 and April 1.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low	90%	80%	70%	60%	50%	40%	30%	20%	10%
36°F	May 17	May 22	May 26	May 29	May 31	Jun 2	Jun 6	Jun 10	Jun 18
32°F	May 2	May 10	May 14	May 18	May 21	May 24	May 27	May 31	Jun 5
28°F	Apr 23	Apr 27	Apr 30	May 4	May 8	May 11	May 14	May 18	May 24
24°F	Apr 8	Apr 14	Apr 18	Apr 21	Apr 23	Apr 27	May 1	May 6	May 12
20°F	Mar 29	Apr 1	Apr 4	Apr 6	Apr 9	Apr 13	Apr 17	Apr 21	Apr 26
16°F	Mar 18	Mar 23	Mar 27	Mar 30	Apr 1	Apr 3	Apr 5	Apr 7	Apr 13

Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low	10%	20%	30%	40%	50%	60%	70%	80%	90%
36°F	Sep 10	Sep 14	Sep 17	Sep 20	Sep 22	Sep 25	Sep 27	Sep 30	Oct 3
32°F	Sep 20	Sep 24	Sep 27	Sep 29	Oct 1	Oct 3	Oct 6	Oct 10	Oct 14
28°F	Sep 30	Oct 3	Oct 5	Oct 9	Oct 12	Oct 15	Oct 19	Oct 24	Oct 31
24°F	Oct 6	Oct 13	Oct 17	Oct 21	Oct 26	Oct 31	Nov 3	Nov 5	Nov 11
20°F	Oct 20	Oct 27	Nov 1	Nov 4	Nov 7	Nov 10	Nov 13	Nov 17	Nov 21
16°F	Nov 3	Nov 9	Nov 12	Nov 15	Nov 18	Nov 21	Nov 25	Nov 28	Dec 2

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Walton 2, 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 13856 →Compare Walton with another place →

Frost risk through the year in Walton

Frost curve for Walton, New York (Walton 2, NY, NOAA 1991–2020): the chance of another 32°F night falls from 90% on May 2 to 50% on May 21 and 10% on June 5; the chance that the first fall one has come rises from 10% on September 20 to 50% on October 1 and 90% on October 14. — In Walton, the spring curve drops under 10% on June 5 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 20, 107 days later; that gap is shorter than at 95% of the 173 New York stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 34 days (May 2 to June 5) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 24 days (September 20 to October 14): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At E Sidney, NY, 11 miles north, the same gap runs from May 26 to September 27, 17 days longer.

Chance of a frost after each planting date in Walton
Planted on	Another 32°F night	28°F night
May 7	84%	53%
May 14	70%	30%
May 2150% date	50%	15%
May 28	28%	under 10%
Jun 4	12%	under 10%
Jun 11	under 10%	under 10%

Weather by month in Walton

July is the warmest month at Walton 2, NY, averaging 79°F by day and 55°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 May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 16% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 1,950 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 173 New York stations. 30% of them (582) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 516. Precipitation totals 49.3 inches a year, most in August (5.2") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 48% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Walton 2, NY
Month	High °F	Low °F	Precip. in	32°F night	Nights ≤ 32°F	GDD 50°F
Jan	32	11	3.5	100%	29	1
Feb	34	12	2.6	100%	27	0
Mar	43	19	3.5	100%	27	5
Apr	56	31	4.2	100%	20	38
May	67	41	4.2	91%	7	165
Jun	75	50	5.0	16%	<1	373
Jul	79	55	4.5	2%	0	516
Aug	78	54	5.2	0%	0	488
Sep	71	47	4.6	44%	1	280
Oct	60	36	4.7	99%	12	74
Nov	47	27	3.7	100%	23	8
Dec	36	19	3.6	100%	28	1

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Walton 2, NY (1,480 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, E Sidney, NY, 11 miles north of Walton and 325 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (May 11), a first frost 8 days later (October 9), a season 19 days longer.

Frost dates for 13733 (Bainbridge) →

When it snows in Walton, New York

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Walton usually arrives around November 7, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Delhi 2 SE, NY, 13.3 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 41 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 13856

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Walton, New York
When	What to do
March 12 – March 26	Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 26 – April 9	Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 23 – May 7	Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 21 onward	Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 9	Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 17	Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 1 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 13856 is under a mile from Walton 2, NY, which stands at 1,480 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 13856 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.

Frost dates across New York →

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.