USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 14760 — Olean, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Olean, NY (1,420 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Olean, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 156 days (NOAA, Olean, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 156 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 10
- Last snow
- April 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 64.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Olean
Half of springs at Olean, NY see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 23, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 22 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 11 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 156 days in a typical year, shorter than at 61% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 175 days one year in ten and falls short of 136 one year in ten. On average 150 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 13 days longer, to about May 20, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Olean, 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 14760 →Compare Olean with another place →
Weather by month in Olean
July is the warmest month at Olean, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 13°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 71% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,261 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (717) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 578. Precipitation totals 40.8 inches a year, most in June (4.5") and least in February (2.0"); 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 | 13 | 2.7 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 34 | 15 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 43 | 21 | 2.6 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 57 | 32 | 3.4 | 100% | 16 | 49 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 3.7 | 71% | 1 | 227 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 429 |
| Jul | 80 | 57 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Aug | 79 | 55 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 527 |
| Sep | 73 | 49 | 3.9 | 14% | <1 | 330 |
| Oct | 60 | 38 | 3.6 | 97% | 6 | 96 |
| Nov | 47 | 29 | 2.9 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
| Dec | 37 | 21 | 3.2 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Olean, NY (1,420 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, Salamanca 2, NY, 16 miles west of Olean, has a last frost 11 days later (May 18), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 1), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Olean, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Olean usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Olean, NY, 1.3 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14760
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 14760 is 1 mile from Olean, NY, which stands at 1,420 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14760 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.