USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 14548 — Shortsville, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Canandaigua 3 S, NY (720 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
In Shortsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Canandaigua 3 S, NY).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 175 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 14
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 56.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Shortsville
Half of springs at Canandaigua 3 S, NY see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 12 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 83% of the 173 New York stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 155 one year in ten. On average 127 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 9 days longer, to about May 8, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Canandaigua 3 S, 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 14548 →Compare Shortsville with another place →
Weather by month in Shortsville
July is the warmest month at Canandaigua 3 S, NY, averaging 81°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,725 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (837) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 673. Precipitation totals 35.3 inches a year, most in July (4.1") and least in February (1.8"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 18 | 1.9 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 42 | 25 | 2.7 | 100% | 24 | 10 |
| Apr | 55 | 35 | 3.2 | 100% | 10 | 59 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 3.1 | 40% | <1 | 259 |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 507 |
| Jul | 81 | 62 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Aug | 80 | 61 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Sep | 74 | 54 | 3.1 | 2% | 0 | 413 |
| Oct | 61 | 43 | 3.5 | 78% | 2 | 140 |
| Nov | 49 | 33 | 2.6 | 100% | 13 | 27 |
| Dec | 38 | 25 | 2.4 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Canandaigua 3 S, NY (720 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, Victor 2NW, NY, 11 miles west of Shortsville, has a last frost 3 days later (May 2), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 17), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Shortsville, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Shortsville usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Geneva Rsch Farm, NY, 12.7 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14548
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 14548 is 9 miles from Canandaigua 3 S, NY, which stands at 720 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 14424 (Canandaigua). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14548 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.