U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00306538 · New York

Frost Dates for Peru, NY

NOAA weather station Peru 2 WSW (USC00306538), New York · elevation 510 ft (155 m) · hardiness zone 5a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 17only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season152 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Peru, NYSpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 4 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 23 in 1 year out of 10, before October 4 in half of the years, before October 20 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 152 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 4First frost ~Oct 4Frost season at Peru, NYSpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 4 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 23 in 1 year out of 10, before October 4 in half of the years, before October 20 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 152 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 4First 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 17September 23
50% (typical)May 4October 4
90% (likely)April 24October 20
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
152 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 24
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 17

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 3 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 7 (3 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 Peru: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 17, 20% May 13, 30% May 10, 40% May 7, 50% May 4, 60% May 2, 70% April 30, 80% April 27, 90% April 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 27.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 17May 4Apr 242021: April 27Fall at Peru: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 23, 20% September 27, 30% September 30, 40% October 2, 50% October 4, 60% October 7, 70% October 10, 80% October 14, 90% October 20. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 23.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 23Oct 4Oct 202021: October 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 27October 23
2022incomplete recordno data
2023no datano data
2024no datano data
2025no datano data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

May 17 is the cautious spring date for light frost in Peru, New York; with only a 10 % chance of a frost later, a gardener can plan to set out tender crops after that day with low risk. The 50% dates, May 4 in spring and October 4 in fall, mark the points where the chance of a light frost is evenly split, giving a clear reference for when frost risk is neither high nor low. The cautious fall date is September 23, when there is only a 10 % chance that a frost has already arrived, allowing a gardener to finish harvesting tender crops with confidence. The hard-frost 50% dates are April 24 and October 17; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F. The record covers 30 years and the span between the two 32 °F 50% dates is 152 days.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 17" 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 23" 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 Peru, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Dannemora, NY — 13 mi; 2 — South Hero, VT — 14 mi; 3 — Burlington, VT — 22 mi; 4 — Lake Placid, NY — 27 mi; 5 — near Stowe, VT — 37 mi.NY25 mi · 40 km1. Dannemora, NY — 13 mi12. South Hero, VT — 14 mi23. Burlington, VT — 22 mi34. Lake Placid, NY — 27 mi45. near Stowe, VT — 37 mi5
  1. Dannemora, NY 13 mi (21 km)
  2. South Hero, VT 14 mi (22 km)
  3. Burlington, VT 22 mi (35 km)
  4. Lake Placid, NY 27 mi (44 km)
  5. near Stowe, VT 37 mi (60 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 44.5656, -73.5706.