U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00014768 · New York

Frost Dates for Rochester, NY

NOAA weather station Rochester Greater International Airport (USW00014768), New York · elevation 533 ft (163 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 8only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season181 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Rochester, NYSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 181 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 25Frost season at Rochester, NYSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 181 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 25
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 25 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 8October 8
50% (typical)April 24October 25
90% (likely)April 12November 7
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
181 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 14
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 6

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 24 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 26 (1 day later). Frost-free season 185 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 Rochester: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 8, 20% May 3, 30% April 30, 40% April 27, 50% April 24, 60% April 22, 70% April 19, 80% April 16, 90% April 12. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 30, 2023 May 18, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 17, 2026 April 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 8Apr 24Apr 122021: April 232022: April 302023: May 182024: April 262025: April 172026: April 21Fall at Rochester: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 8, 20% October 14, 30% October 18, 40% October 22, 50% October 25, 60% October 28, 70% October 31, 80% November 3, 90% November 7. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 19, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 27, 2025 October 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 8Oct 25Nov 72021: November 42022: October 192023: October 312024: October 272025: 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
2021April 23November 4
2022April 30October 19
2023May 18October 31
2024April 26October 27
2025April 17October 10
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 8 carries a 10% chance of a light frost earlier, so it is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Rochester. May 8 holds a 10% chance of a light frost later, making it the cautious spring date for setting out tender crops.

The 50% light-frost dates are April 24 in spring and October 25 in fall; at each of these dates there is an even chance of a frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall), providing a reference point for a gardener’s risk assessment. The 50% hard-frost dates are April 14 and November 6, and a hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, so these dates mark a higher-risk threshold.

The 25-year record shows a frost-free interval of 181 days between the two 32 °F 50% dates, giving a sense of the overall growing window.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 8" 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 8" 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 Rochester, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Avon, NY — 14 mi; 2 — Hemlock, NY — 24 mi; 3 — Honeoye, NY — 24 mi; 4 — Batavia, NY — 26 mi; 5 — Canandaigua, NY — 27 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Avon, NY — 14 mi12. Hemlock, NY — 24 mi23. Honeoye, NY — 24 mi34. Batavia, NY — 26 mi45. Canandaigua, NY — 27 mi5
  1. Avon, NY 14 mi (23 km)
  2. Hemlock, NY 24 mi (38 km)
  3. Honeoye, NY 24 mi (39 km)
  4. Batavia, NY 26 mi (41 km)
  5. Canandaigua, NY 27 mi (44 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: 43.1167, -77.6767.