U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00301152 · New York

Frost Dates for Canandaigua, NY

NOAA weather station Canandaigua 3 S (USC00301152), New York · elevation 720 ft (220 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 12only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season175 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Canandaigua, NYSpring: a frost after April 16 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 6 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 22Frost season at Canandaigua, NYSpring: a frost after April 16 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 6 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 22
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 12October 6
50% (typical)April 29October 22
90% (likely)April 16November 6
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
175 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 16
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 4

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 28 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 24 (2 days later). Frost-free season 178 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 Canandaigua: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 12, 20% May 7, 30% May 3, 40% April 30, 50% April 29, 60% April 26, 70% April 24, 80% April 21, 90% April 16. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 1, 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%May 1May 12Apr 29Apr 162021: May 12022: April 302023: May 182024: April 262025: April 172026: April 21Fall at Canandaigua: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 6, 20% October 11, 30% October 15, 40% October 18, 50% October 22, 60% October 25, 70% October 28, 80% November 1, 90% November 6. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 28, 2023 October 31, 2024 November 3, 2025 October 27.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 22Nov 62021: November 42022: October 282023: October 312024: November 32025: October 27
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 1November 4
2022April 30October 28
2023May 18October 31
2024April 26November 3
2025April 17October 27
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 12 is the cautious spring date, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost (32 °F) will occur later; it lets a gardener set out tender crops with confidence.

The 50 % dates mark the point where the odds of a light frost are even. April 29 is the spring 50 % date and October 22 is the fall 50 % date; they are not frost dates but indicate a 50 % chance of frost later (spring) or earlier (fall). The cautious fall date is October 6, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived, allowing the gardener to finish harvesting tender crops.

A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F, so the median hard-frost dates—April 16 in spring and November 4 in fall—are important reference points.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 12" 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 6" 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 Canandaigua, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Honeoye, NY — 12 mi; 2 — Geneva, NY — 13 mi; 3 — Hemlock, NY — 17 mi; 4 — Avon, NY — 25 mi; 5 — Rochester, NY — 27 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Honeoye, NY — 12 mi12. Geneva, NY — 13 mi23. Hemlock, NY — 17 mi34. Avon, NY — 25 mi45. Rochester, NY — 27 mi5
  1. Honeoye, NY 12 mi (20 km)
  2. Geneva, NY 13 mi (21 km)
  3. Hemlock, NY 17 mi (28 km)
  4. Avon, NY 25 mi (40 km)
  5. Rochester, 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: 42.845, -77.2808.