USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 14047 — Derby, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Colden 1W, NY (1,535 ft), 14 miles east.
Updated
In Derby, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 166 days (NOAA, Colden 1W, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 166 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 4
- Last snow
- April 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 167.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Derby
Half of springs at Colden 1W, NY see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 19 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 166 days in a typical year, longer than at 58% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 189 days one year in ten and falls short of 143 one year in ten. On average 144 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 9 days longer, to about May 13, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Colden 1W, 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 14047 →Compare Derby with another place →
Weather by month in Derby
July is the warmest month at Colden 1W, NY, averaging 77°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 16°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September 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 2,243 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (710) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 567. Precipitation totals 53.2 inches a year, most in October (5.4") and least in March (3.7"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 16 | 4.8 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 31 | 16 | 3.9 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 39 | 23 | 3.7 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
| Apr | 53 | 34 | 4.5 | 100% | 15 | 51 |
| May | 65 | 46 | 4.1 | 61% | 1 | 220 |
| Jun | 73 | 55 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 427 |
| Jul | 77 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Aug | 76 | 58 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 518 |
| Sep | 70 | 51 | 4.6 | 10% | 0 | 329 |
| Oct | 57 | 41 | 5.4 | 84% | 4 | 100 |
| Nov | 45 | 32 | 4.8 | 100% | 17 | 17 |
| Dec | 35 | 23 | 4.5 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Colden 1W, NY (1,535 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, Colden 1 N, NY, 15 miles east of Derby and 510 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days later (May 7), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 11), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Derby, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Derby usually arrives around November 4, and the last of the season around April 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Colden 1W, NY, 14.1 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 11 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14047
| 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 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 14047 is 14 miles from Colden 1W, NY, which stands at 1,535 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 14075 (Hamburg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14047 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.