USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 14058 — Elba, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Batavia, NY (913 ft), 4 miles south.
Updated
In Elba, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 165 days (NOAA, Batavia, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 165 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 19
- Last snow
- April 3
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 73.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elba
Half of springs at Batavia, NY see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 18 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 165 days in a typical year, longer than at 58% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 185 days one year in ten and falls short of 145 one year in ten. On average 131 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 8 days longer, to about May 11, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Batavia, 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 14058 →Compare Elba with another place →
Weather by month in Elba
July is the warmest month at Batavia, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 16°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,571 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (826) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 631. Precipitation totals 36.6 inches a year, most in June (3.7") and least in February (1.9"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 16 | 2.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 42 | 24 | 2.4 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
| Apr | 56 | 35 | 3.2 | 100% | 11 | 66 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 3.2 | 58% | 1 | 258 |
| Jun | 76 | 56 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 488 |
| Jul | 80 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 3.6 | 7% | <1 | 377 |
| Oct | 60 | 42 | 3.6 | 93% | 3 | 126 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 2.9 | 100% | 15 | 24 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 2.8 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Batavia, NY (913 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, Albion, NY, 12 miles north of Elba and 441 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 1), a first frost 4 days later (October 20), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Elba, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elba usually arrives around November 19, and the last of the season around April 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Batavia, NY, 4.4 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 14058
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 14058 is 4 miles from Batavia, NY, which stands at 913 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 14020 (Batavia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14058 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.