USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 14445 — East Rochester, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Victor 2NW, NY (588 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In East Rochester, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 167 days (NOAA, Victor 2NW, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 167 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 8
- Last snow
- April 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 102"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in East Rochester
Half of springs at Victor 2NW, NY see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 18 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 167 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 188 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 142 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 12, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Victor 2NW, 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 14445 →Compare East Rochester with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Rochester Gtr International Airport, NY, 10 miles west of East Rochester, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 8 days later (October 25), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in East Rochester, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in East Rochester usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Rochester Gtr International Airport, NY, 9.6 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 21 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14445
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 14445 is 8 miles from Victor 2NW, NY, which stands at 588 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 14450 (Fairport). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14445 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.