USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 14865 — Montour Falls, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mecklenburg 4SW, NY (1,510 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Montour Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 10 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 8, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 150 days (NOAA, Mecklenburg 4SW, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 10
- First fall frost
- October 8
- Growing season
- 150 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 24
- Last snow
- March 30
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 41.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Montour Falls
Half of springs at Mecklenburg 4SW, NY see their last 32°F night by May 10; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 20 20%, and after May 26 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 8 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 150 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 173 days one year in ten and falls short of 129 one year in ten. On average 156 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 23, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | May 31 | Jun 4 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mecklenburg 4SW, 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 14865 →Compare Montour Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Montour Falls
July is the warmest month at Mecklenburg 4SW, NY, averaging 79°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 14°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,073 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 173 New York stations. 31% of them (640) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 547. Precipitation totals 39.0 inches a year, most in June (4.3") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 14 | 2.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 33 | 15 | 2.0 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 2.7 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 53 | 32 | 3.3 | 100% | 17 | 43 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 3.2 | 76% | 4 | 195 |
| Jun | 74 | 52 | 4.3 | 2% | 0 | 392 |
| Jul | 79 | 56 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 547 |
| Aug | 77 | 55 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 493 |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 4.1 | 24% | <1 | 293 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 4.1 | 94% | 7 | 87 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 2.8 | 100% | 19 | 13 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 2.6 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mecklenburg 4SW, NY (1,510 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, Elmira Corning Regional Airport, NY, 14 miles south of Montour Falls and 555 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 9), a first frost 1 day later (October 9), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Montour Falls, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Montour Falls usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around March 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Elmira, NY, 17.5 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14865
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 1 – March 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 12 – April 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 8 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 14865 is 8 miles from Mecklenburg 4SW, NY, which stands at 1,510 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 14886 (Trumansburg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14865 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.