USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 14139 — South Wales, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wales, NY (1,135 ft), 3 miles northwest.
Updated
In South Wales, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 155 days (NOAA, Wales, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 155 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 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 109.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in South Wales
Half of springs at Wales, NY see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 23 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 10 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 155 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 175 days one year in ten and falls short of 135 one year in ten. On average 151 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 20, and return around September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wales, 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 14139 →Compare South Wales with another place →
Weather by month in South Wales
July is the warmest month at Wales, NY, averaging 79°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 15°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 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,287 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (728) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 569. Precipitation totals 44.3 inches a year, most in June (4.2") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 15 | 3.6 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 33 | 15 | 2.7 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 42 | 22 | 3.2 | 100% | 26 | 12 |
| Apr | 55 | 33 | 3.6 | 100% | 16 | 57 |
| May | 67 | 44 | 3.5 | 72% | 3 | 222 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 436 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 569 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 530 |
| Sep | 72 | 50 | 3.9 | 17% | 1 | 329 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 4.2 | 95% | 7 | 107 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 4.1 | 100% | 18 | 21 |
| Dec | 37 | 22 | 3.9 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wales, NY (1,135 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, 8 miles southwest of South Wales, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day later (October 11), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in South Wales, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in South Wales usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wales, NY, 2.9 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14139
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 14139 is 3 miles from Wales, NY, which stands at 1,135 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 14052 (East Aurora). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14139 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.