USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 14882 — Lansing, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY (960 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Lansing, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 145 days (NOAA, Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 145 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 13
- Last snow
- April 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 62.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lansing
Half of springs at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 21 20%, and after May 26 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 3 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 145 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 164 days one year in ten and falls short of 125 one year in ten. On average 148 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 24, and return around September 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 8 | May 13 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 21 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 13 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ithaca Cornell Univ, 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 14882 →Compare Lansing with another place →
Weather by month in Lansing
July is the warmest month at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 15°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 78% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,276 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 66% of the 173 New York stations. 32% of them (721) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 586. Precipitation totals 38.3 inches a year, most in June (4.0") 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 | 31 | 15 | 2.2 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 33 | 15 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 2.8 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Apr | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 14 | 52 |
| May | 67 | 44 | 3.2 | 78% | 3 | 221 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 4.0 | 2% | 0 | 438 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 539 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.8 | 36% | 1 | 317 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 3.7 | 97% | 7 | 95 |
| Nov | 47 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 18 | 18 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 2.6 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY (960 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, Freeville 1 NE, NY, 11 miles east of Lansing, has a last frost 4 days earlier (May 7), a first frost 5 days later (October 8), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Lansing, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lansing usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 9.2 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 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14882
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 14882 is 9 miles from Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, which stands at 960 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 14850 (Ithaca). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14882 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.