U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00300343 · New York

Frost Dates for Avon, NY

NOAA weather station Avon (USC00300343), New York · elevation 545 ft (166 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 15only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season163 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Avon, NYSpring: a frost after April 20 in 9 years out of 10, after May 3 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 163 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 3First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Avon, NYSpring: a frost after April 20 in 9 years out of 10, after May 3 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 163 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 3First frost ~Oct 15
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 15October 1
50% (typical)May 3October 15
90% (likely)April 20November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
163 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 21
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 29

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 2 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 19 (4 days later). Frost-free season 167 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 Avon: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 15, 20% May 11, 30% May 7, 40% May 5, 50% May 3, 60% April 30, 70% April 28, 80% April 25, 90% April 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 1, 2022 May 8, 2023 May 25, 2024 April 27, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 12.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 15May 3Apr 202021: May 12022: May 82023: May 252024: April 272025: April 182026: May 12Fall at Avon: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 5, 30% October 8, 40% October 11, 50% October 15, 60% October 17, 70% October 21, 80% October 25, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 29, 2022 October 3, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 15Nov 12021: October 292022: October 32023: October 232024: October 172025: October 10
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
2021May 1October 29
2022May 8October 3
2023May 25October 23
2024April 27October 17
2025April 18October 10
2026May 12season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Avon for finishing the harvest is October 1, when there is only a 10 % chance of a light frost having arrived.

For a gardener, the 50% light-frost dates—May 3 in spring and October 15 in fall—represent the point where a light frost has a 50 % chance of having occurred by that day. The median hard-frost dates are April 21 and October 29, marking when a 28 °F frost has a 50 % chance of having occurred.

A cautious plan therefore sets out tender crops on May 15 in spring and aims to finish them by October 1 in fall; counting on them beyond those dates adds considerable risk. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F, so those hard-frost dates deserve special attention.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 15" 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 1" 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 Avon, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Hemlock, NY — 13 mi; 2 — Rochester, NY — 14 mi; 3 — Honeoye, NY — 15 mi; 4 — Batavia, NY — 22 mi; 5 — Canandaigua, NY — 25 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Hemlock, NY — 13 mi12. Rochester, NY — 14 mi23. Honeoye, NY — 15 mi34. Batavia, NY — 22 mi45. Canandaigua, NY — 25 mi5
  1. Hemlock, NY 13 mi (20 km)
  2. Rochester, NY 14 mi (23 km)
  3. Honeoye, NY 15 mi (24 km)
  4. Batavia, NY 22 mi (36 km)
  5. Canandaigua, NY 25 mi (40 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 42.9203, -77.7558.