USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 14221 — Williamsville, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Buffalo, NY (693 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Williamsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Buffalo, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 183 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 9
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 95.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Williamsville
Half of springs at Buffalo, NY see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 9 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 202 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 124 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 4, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Buffalo, 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 14221 →Compare Williamsville with another place →
Weather by month in Williamsville
July is the warmest month at Buffalo, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 19°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 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,711 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (845) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 671. Precipitation totals 40.8 inches a year, most in September (4.1") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 19 | 3.4 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 33 | 20 | 2.5 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 42 | 26 | 2.9 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
| Apr | 55 | 37 | 3.4 | 99% | 9 | 59 |
| May | 67 | 48 | 3.4 | 27% | <1 | 267 |
| Jun | 76 | 58 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 506 |
| Jul | 80 | 63 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Aug | 79 | 62 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Sep | 72 | 55 | 4.1 | 1% | 0 | 405 |
| Oct | 60 | 44 | 4.0 | 68% | 2 | 133 |
| Nov | 48 | 34 | 3.5 | 100% | 13 | 25 |
| Dec | 37 | 26 | 3.8 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Buffalo, NY (693 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, N Tonawanda, NY, 9 miles northwest of Williamsville, has a last frost 12 days later (May 6), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 15), a season 23 days shorter.
When it snows in Williamsville, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Williamsville usually arrives around November 9, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Buffalo, NY, 2 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 12 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14221
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 14221 is 2 miles from Buffalo, NY, which stands at 693 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 28 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14221 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.