USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 14423 — Caledonia, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Avon, NY (545 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Caledonia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Avon, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 163 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 20
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 51.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Caledonia
Half of springs at Avon, NY see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 94% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 143 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 13, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Avon, 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 14423 →Compare Caledonia with another place →
Weather by month in Caledonia
July is the warmest month at Avon, NY, averaging 82°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 16°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 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,554 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (821) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 642. Precipitation totals 33.7 inches a year, most in July (3.7") and least in February (1.7"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 16 | 2.0 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 34 | 17 | 1.7 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 43 | 24 | 2.5 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 2.8 | 100% | 14 | 59 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 3.0 | 58% | 1 | 255 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 496 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 642 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 3.2 | 9% | <1 | 367 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 3.2 | 89% | 5 | 117 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 2.5 | 100% | 17 | 21 |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 2.2 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Avon, NY (545 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, Pavilion 2NE, NY, 8 miles west of Caledonia and 475 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 2), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 14), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Caledonia, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Caledonia usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Avon, NY, 4.2 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 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14423
| 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 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 14423 is 4 miles from Avon, NY, which stands at 545 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 14414 (Avon). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14423 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.