U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00300055 · New York

Frost Dates for Albion, NY

NOAA weather station Albion (USC00300055), New York · elevation 472 ft (144 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season170 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Albion, NYSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 4 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 170 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 1First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Albion, NYSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 4 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 170 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 1First frost ~Oct 20
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 16October 4
50% (typical)May 1October 20
90% (likely)April 19November 3
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
170 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 20
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 2

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 2 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 23 (3 days later). Frost-free season 173 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Albion: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 16, 20% May 10, 30% May 6, 40% May 4, 50% May 1, 60% April 29, 70% April 26, 80% April 23, 90% April 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 May 8, 2023 May 18, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 12.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 16May 1Apr 192021: April 222022: May 82023: May 182024: April 262025: April 172026: May 12Fall at Albion: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 4, 20% October 9, 30% October 12, 40% October 16, 50% October 20, 60% October 23, 70% October 26, 80% October 30, 90% November 3. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 21, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 25, 2025 October 26.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 4Oct 20Nov 32021: November 42022: October 212023: October 232024: October 252025: October 26
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 22November 4
2022May 8October 21
2023May 18October 23
2024April 26October 25
2025April 17October 26
2026May 12season not over yet

What these dates mean

The frost-free season is 170 days. For a gardener at Albion the typical spring date is May 1, when there is a 50% chance of a frost after it; the typical fall date is October 20, when there is a 50% chance of a frost before it. Planting tender crops after the cautious spring date of May 16 reduces the risk of a late frost, while finishing tender harvests before the cautious fall date of October 4 lowers the chance of an early frost. Trying to plant before the early spring date of April 19 or to rely on crops lasting until the late fall date of November 3 is a gamble because those dates carry a 90% chance of frost. A hard frost (28°F) matters more than a light frost (32°F) because it can cause far greater damage to plants generally, and regionally, with a 50% chance of occurring after April 20 in spring and before November 2 in fall.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 16" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 4" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Albion, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Batavia, NY — 16 mi; 2 — Rochester, NY — 29 mi; 3 — Avon, NY — 33 mi; 4 — Buffalo, NY — 34 mi; 5 — Warsaw, NY — 40 mi.NY25 mi · 40 km1. Batavia, NY — 16 mi12. Rochester, NY — 29 mi23. Avon, NY — 33 mi34. Buffalo, NY — 34 mi45. Warsaw, NY — 40 mi5
  1. Batavia, NY 16 mi (26 km)
  2. Rochester, NY 29 mi (47 km)
  3. Avon, NY 33 mi (53 km)
  4. Buffalo, NY 34 mi (55 km)
  5. Warsaw, NY 40 mi (64 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 43.2633, -78.2153.