Skip to content

USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 14411 — Albion, New York

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Albion, NY (472 ft), 2 miles northwest.

Updated

In Albion, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Albion, NY).

Last spring frost
May 1

50% probability

First fall frost
October 20

50% probability

Growing season
170 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
November 20

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 4

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

27 of 27 observed

Snow per year
67"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Albion

Half of springs at Albion, NY see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 16 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 20 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 150 one year in ten. On average 125 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 11 days longer, to about May 12, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 19.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 29May 2May 6May 9May 12May 15May 18May 21May 26
32°FApr 19Apr 23Apr 26Apr 29May 1May 4May 6May 10May 16
28°FApr 6Apr 10Apr 15Apr 18Apr 20Apr 23Apr 26Apr 30May 4
24°FMar 25Mar 30Apr 2Apr 4Apr 6Apr 9Apr 14Apr 17Apr 20
20°FMar 13Mar 18Mar 23Mar 26Mar 29Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 10
16°FMar 4Mar 9Mar 13Mar 16Mar 19Mar 22Mar 25Mar 29Mar 31
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Dec 1
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 20Nov 24Nov 30Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Albion, 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 14411 →Compare Albion with another place →

Weather by month in Albion

July is the warmest month at Albion, NY, averaging 83°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 18°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 52% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,831 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (900) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 690. Precipitation totals 35.3 inches a year, most in October (3.4") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 43% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Albion, NY
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan33183.0100%271
Feb35182.3100%251
Mar44252.7100%2213
Apr57363.3100%973
May70473.052%1278
Jun79573.00%0533
Jul83623.20%0690
Aug81602.80%0639
Sep75543.23%0424
Oct62433.483%2149
Nov50332.7100%1428
Dec39242.7100%243

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Albion, NY (472 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, Brockport, NY, 13 miles east of Albion, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 10 days later (October 30), a season 17 days longer.

Frost dates for 14420 (Brockport) →

When it snows in Albion, New York

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Albion usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Albion, NY, 1.5 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 14411

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Albion, New York
WhenWhat to do
February 20 – March 6Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 6 – March 20Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 3 – April 17Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 1 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 28Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 6Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 20 onwardPlant 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 14411 is 2 miles from Albion, NY, which stands at 472 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14411 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.

Frost dates across New York →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in New York