USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 14304 — Niagara Falls, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Niagara Falls, NY (588 ft), under a mile southwest.
Updated
In Niagara Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Niagara Falls, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 179 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 13
- Last snow
- April 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 72.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Niagara Falls
Half of springs at Niagara Falls, NY see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 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 25 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, longer than at 74% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 200 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 139 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 6, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 11 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Niagara Falls, 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 14304 →Compare Niagara Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Niagara Falls
July is the warmest month at Niagara Falls, NY, averaging 82°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,812 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (884) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 707. Precipitation totals 34.8 inches a year, most in July (3.4") and least in February (2.1"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 19 | 2.6 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 19 | 2.1 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 43 | 26 | 2.4 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 3.1 | 99% | 12 | 56 |
| May | 69 | 48 | 3.1 | 36% | 1 | 277 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 539 |
| Jul | 82 | 63 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 707 |
| Aug | 80 | 61 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Sep | 74 | 54 | 3.3 | 2% | <1 | 415 |
| Oct | 61 | 43 | 3.3 | 71% | 4 | 136 |
| Nov | 49 | 33 | 2.9 | 100% | 17 | 20 |
| Dec | 39 | 25 | 2.8 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Niagara Falls, NY (588 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, Niagara Falls International Airport, NY, 1 mile northeast of Niagara Falls, has a last frost 5 days later (May 1), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 19), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Niagara Falls, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Niagara Falls usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Niagara Falls, NY, 0.6 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14304
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 14304 is under a mile from Niagara Falls, NY, which stands at 588 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14304 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.