USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 14883 — Spencer, New York
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Spencer 1 NE, NY (1,170 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Spencer, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 27 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 143 days (NOAA, Spencer 1 NE, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 12
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 143 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 14
- Last snow
- April 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 64.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Spencer
Half of springs at Spencer 1 NE, NY see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 28, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 27 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 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 143 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 173 New York stations; it reaches 162 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 168 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 12 days longer, to about May 24, and return around September 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 9 | May 14 | May 19 | May 22 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 7 |
| 32°F | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 28°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 12 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Spencer 1 NE, 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 14883 →Compare Spencer with another place →
Weather by month in Spencer
July is the warmest month at Spencer 1 NE, NY, averaging 80°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°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 82% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,072 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 173 New York stations. 30% of them (622) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 547.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 14 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 14 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 21 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Apr | 55 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 39 |
| May | 68 | 42 | 82% | 6 | 184 |
| Jun | 76 | 51 | 2% | <1 | 396 |
| Jul | 80 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 547 |
| Aug | 80 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 527 |
| Sep | 72 | 47 | 37% | 1 | 295 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 98% | 13 | 71 |
| Nov | 47 | 29 | 100% | 19 | 9 |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Spencer 1 NE, NY (1,170 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, Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 15 miles north of Spencer and 210 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 11), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Spencer, New York
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Spencer usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Candor 2SE, NY, 9.3 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 14883
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 3 – March 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 12 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 14883 is 2 miles from Spencer 1 NE, NY, which stands at 1,170 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 14883 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.