U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00308600 · New York

Frost Dates near Troy, NY

NOAA weather station Troy Lock and Dam (USC00308600), New York · elevation 15 ft (5 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

Troy is the nearest town to the station (1.6 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 3only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2650% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season190 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Troy, NYSpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 26 in half of the years, before November 10 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 190 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 26Frost season near Troy, NYSpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 26 in half of the years, before November 10 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 190 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 26
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 3October 11
50% (typical)April 19October 26
90% (likely)April 6November 10
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
190 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 7
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 6

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 16 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 29 (3 days later). Frost-free season 194 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 near Troy: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 3, 20% April 28, 30% April 23, 40% April 21, 50% April 19, 60% April 16, 70% April 13, 80% April 10, 90% April 6.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 3Apr 19Apr 6Fall near Troy: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 11, 20% October 16, 30% October 20, 40% October 23, 50% October 26, 60% October 30, 70% November 1, 80% November 5, 90% November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 11Oct 26Nov 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.

What these dates mean

October 11 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest in the Troy area, marking only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 3, when a light frost later than that date occurs with just 10 % probability.

The median light-frost dates are April 19 and October 26. April 19 carries a 50 % chance of a frost later, while October 26 carries a 50 % chance of a frost earlier, giving a balanced reference point for planning.

Hard-frost dates (28 °F) fall on April 7 in spring and November 6 in fall; a hard frost can injure plant tissue that usually survives a light frost. The gamble dates are April 6 in spring (90 % chance of frost later) and November 10 in fall (90 % chance of frost earlier).

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 3" 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 11" 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 Troy, NYNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Albany, NY — 6 mi; 2 — Saratoga Springs, NY — 21 mi; 3 — near Ravena, NY — 23 mi; 4 — Cobleskill, NY — 39 mi; 5 — Glens Falls, NY — 42 mi.NYVTMANH25 mi · 40 km1. Albany, NY — 6 mi12. Saratoga Springs, NY — 21 mi23. near Ravena, NY — 23 mi34. Cobleskill, NY — 39 mi45. Glens Falls, NY — 42 mi5
  1. Albany, NY 6 mi (10 km)
  2. Saratoga Springs, NY 21 mi (34 km)
  3. near Ravena, NY 23 mi (37 km)
  4. Cobleskill, NY 39 mi (63 km)
  5. Glens Falls, NY 42 mi (67 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 42.7511, -73.685.