U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00304102 · New York

Frost Dates for Indian Lake 2 SW, NY

NOAA weather station Indian Lake 2 SW (USC00304102), New York · elevation 1670 ft (509 m) · hardiness zone 4b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter June 4only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 2350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostSeptember 2750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season125 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone4bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Indian Lake 2 SW, NYSpring: a frost after May 6 in 9 years out of 10, after May 23 in half of the years, after June 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 12 in 1 year out of 10, before September 27 in half of the years, before October 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 125 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 23First frost ~Sep 27Frost season at Indian Lake 2 SW, NYSpring: a frost after May 6 in 9 years out of 10, after May 23 in half of the years, after June 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 12 in 1 year out of 10, before September 27 in half of the years, before October 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 125 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 23First frost ~Sep 27
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.Today

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)June 4September 12
50% (typical)May 23September 27
90% (likely)May 6October 9
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
125 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
May 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 7

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 19 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost September 29 (2 days later). Frost-free season 128 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 Indian Lake 2 SW: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% June 4, 20% May 31, 30% May 28, 40% May 25, 50% May 23, 60% May 20, 70% May 17, 80% May 13, 90% May 6. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 16, 2022 May 11, 2023 June 4, 2024 April 27, 2025 May 12, 2026 May 22.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1Jun 4May 23May 62021: May 162022: May 112023: June 42024: April 272025: May 122026: May 22Fall at Indian Lake 2 SW: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 12, 20% September 17, 30% September 21, 40% September 24, 50% September 27, 60% September 29, 70% October 1, 80% October 4, 90% October 9. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 23, 2022 September 30, 2023 October 13, 2024 October 17, 2025 September 20.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Sep 1Oct 1Sep 12Sep 27Oct 92021: October 232022: September 302023: October 132024: October 172025: September 20
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 16October 23
2022May 11September 30
2023June 4October 13
2024April 27October 17
2025May 12September 20
2026May 22season not over yet

What these dates mean

June 4 is the cautious spring date for Indian Lake 2 SW and it allows a gardener to set out tender crops with only a 10% chance of a later light frost. The median light-frost date, May 23, marks the point where a light frost is equally likely to occur before or after, while the median hard-frost date, May 9, indicates when a 28 °F freeze becomes as probable as not.

In the autumn the cautious date is September 12, giving a 10% chance that a light frost has already arrived and signaling when to finish harvesting tender crops. The median light-frost date, September 27, represents even odds for a frost, and the median hard-frost date, October 7, shows when a hard freeze reaches a 50 % likelihood. A hard frost matters more than a light frost because the lower temperature can damage plant tissue that survives a 32 °F frost.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after June 4" 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 September 12" 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 Indian Lake 2 SW, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Lake Placid, NY — 41 mi; 2 — Glens Falls, NY — 43 mi; 3 — Saratoga Springs, NY — 54 mi; 4 — Cornwall, VT — 55 mi; 5 — Boonville, NY — 59 mi.NYVT25 mi · 40 km1. Lake Placid, NY — 41 mi12. Glens Falls, NY — 43 mi23. Saratoga Springs, NY — 54 mi34. Cornwall, VT — 55 mi45. Boonville, NY — 59 mi5
  1. Lake Placid, NY 41 mi (65 km)
  2. Glens Falls, NY 43 mi (70 km)
  3. Saratoga Springs, NY 54 mi (87 km)
  4. Cornwall, VT 55 mi (88 km)
  5. Boonville, NY 59 mi (95 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 4b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 43.7547, -74.2756.