U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00094789 · New York

Frost Dates for New York (JFK Airport), NY

NOAA weather station New York JFK International Airport (USW00094789), New York · elevation 11 ft (3 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 13only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season226 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at New York (JFK Airport), NYSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 2 in half of the years, after April 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 2 in 1 year out of 10, before November 14 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 226 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 2First frost ~Nov 14Frost season at New York (JFK Airport), NYSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 2 in half of the years, after April 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 2 in 1 year out of 10, before November 14 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 226 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 2First frost ~Nov 14
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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 13November 2
50% (typical)April 2November 14
90% (likely)March 20December 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
226 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 23
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 31 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 15 (1 day later). Frost-free season 228 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 New York (JFK Airport): chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 13, 20% April 8, 30% April 5, 40% April 3, 50% April 2, 60% March 31, 70% March 29, 80% March 25, 90% March 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 March 30, 2023 March 31, 2024 March 24, 2025 April 9, 2026 April 9.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1Apr 13Apr 2Mar 202021: April 32022: March 302023: March 312024: March 242025: April 92026: April 9Fall at New York (JFK Airport): chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% November 2, 20% November 6, 30% November 9, 40% November 12, 50% November 14, 60% November 17, 70% November 21, 80% November 25, 90% December 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 23, 2022 November 19, 2023 November 13, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 23.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Nov 2Nov 14Dec 12021: November 232022: November 192023: November 132024: November 302025: November 23
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 3November 23
2022March 30November 19
2023March 31November 13
2024March 24November 30
2025April 9November 23
2026April 9season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 13 is the cautious spring light-frost date, with only a 10 % chance that a frost will occur later, so a gardener can plan to set out tender crops at that time. The 50% light-frost date in spring is April 2, which carries a 50 % chance of a frost later than this date, and the 50% light-frost date in fall is November 14, which carries a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than this date. The median hard-frost dates are March 23 in spring and November 26 in fall; a hard frost at 28 °F poses a greater risk to plants than a light frost at 32 °F because it can damage tissue that survives the milder temperature. November 2 is the cautious fall light-frost date, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier, giving a gardener a low-risk point to finish harvesting tender crops.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 13" 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 November 2" 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 New York (JFK Airport), NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY — 12 mi; 2 — New York (Central Park), NY — 15 mi; 3 — Newark, NJ — 22 mi; 4 — near Purchase, NY — 30 mi; 5 — near Islip, NY — 36 mi.NYNJCT25 mi · 40 km1. New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY — 12 mi12. New York (Central Park), NY — 15 mi23. Newark, NJ — 22 mi34. near Purchase, NY — 30 mi45. near Islip, NY — 36 mi5
  1. New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY 12 mi (19 km)
  2. New York (Central Park), NY 15 mi (23 km)
  3. Newark, NJ 22 mi (35 km)
  4. near Purchase, NY 30 mi (48 km)
  5. near Islip, NY 36 mi (58 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 40.6386, -73.7622.