U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00304996 · New York

Frost Dates for Malone, NY

NOAA weather station Malone (USC00304996), New York · elevation 878 ft (268 m) · hardiness zone 4b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 21only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season151 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone4bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Malone, NYSpring: a frost after April 25 in 9 years out of 10, after May 6 in half of the years, after May 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 21 in 1 year out of 10, before October 4 in half of the years, before October 21 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 151 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 6First frost ~Oct 4Frost season at Malone, NYSpring: a frost after April 25 in 9 years out of 10, after May 6 in half of the years, after May 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 21 in 1 year out of 10, before October 4 in half of the years, before October 21 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 151 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 6First frost ~Oct 4
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 21September 21
50% (typical)May 6October 4
90% (likely)April 25October 21
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
151 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 27
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 18

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 5 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 9 (5 days later). Frost-free season 155 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 Malone: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 21, 20% May 16, 30% May 13, 40% May 9, 50% May 6, 60% May 4, 70% May 1, 80% April 29, 90% April 25. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 28, 2022 May 1, 2023 May 19, 2024 April 27, 2025 May 2, 2026 April 25.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 21May 6Apr 252021: May 282022: May 12023: May 192024: April 272025: May 22026: April 25Fall at Malone: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 21, 20% September 27, 30% September 30, 40% October 2, 50% October 4, 60% October 7, 70% October 11, 80% October 15, 90% October 21. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 23, 2022 October 3, 2023 October 30, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 9.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 21Oct 4Oct 212021: October 232022: October 32023: October 302024: October 172025: October 9
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 28October 23
2022May 1October 3
2023May 19October 30
2024April 27October 17
2025May 2October 9
2026April 25season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 21 is the cautious spring date, giving a gardener only a 10 % chance of a light frost later and therefore a reasonable window to set out tender crops. Setting tender crops before that date would be a gamble because the April 25 date carries a 90 % chance of a frost later.

The 50 % dates—May 6 for spring and October 4 for fall—are the median points where the odds of a light frost are even; they are not frost dates themselves. The cautious fall date is September 21, when there is just a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived, while the October 21 date is a gamble with a 90 % chance of a frost earlier. The hard-frost 50 % dates are April 27 in spring and October 18 in fall, and a hard frost matters more than a light frost because the lower temperature can damage plant tissue that survives a 32 °F event.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 21" 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 21" 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 Malone, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Massena, NY — 27 mi; 2 — Dannemora, NY — 30 mi; 3 — Lake Placid, NY — 40 mi; 4 — Peru, NY — 41 mi; 5 — Canton, NY — 43 mi.NYVT25 mi · 40 km1. Massena, NY — 27 mi12. Dannemora, NY — 30 mi23. Lake Placid, NY — 40 mi34. Peru, NY — 41 mi45. Canton, NY — 43 mi5
  1. Massena, NY 27 mi (44 km)
  2. Dannemora, NY 30 mi (48 km)
  3. Lake Placid, NY 40 mi (65 km)
  4. Peru, NY 41 mi (66 km)
  5. Canton, NY 43 mi (70 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: 44.8417, -74.3061.