Frost dates in New York: last spring frost and first autumn frost
When is it safe to plant out in New York, and when does the first frost come? Dates from 45 years of nightly minimum temperatures (1981–2025), with how early or late they can fall.
Frost dates in New York and how sure they are
| Early year (1 in 10) | Typical (median) | Late year (1 in 10) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last spring frost | 21 March | 29 March | 10 April |
| First autumn frost | 19 November | 2 December | 18 December |
In a typical year the last frost in New York falls around 29 March and the first one around 2 December, leaving about 248 frost-free days (between 230 and 265 in 8 years out of 10). To be safe, plant tender crops after 10 April: by then the last frost has passed in 9 years out of 10. Bring them in before 19 November: in 1 year in 10 the first frost comes earlier.
Frost month by month in New York
| Month | Average low | Coldest night (avg) | Record low | Frost nights | Years with frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -1.8 °C | -9.5 °C | -15.5 °C | 18.9 | 100% |
| February | -1.5 °C | -8.5 °C | -14.6 °C | 17 | 100% |
| March | 1.2 °C | -5.3 °C | -10.9 °C | 10.5 | 100% |
| April | 5.7 °C | 0.6 °C | -6.1 °C | 0.7 | 38% |
| May | 11.1 °C | 6.3 °C | 2.6 °C | 0 | 0% |
| June | 16.7 °C | 11.6 °C | 8.5 °C | 0 | 0% |
| July | 20.6 °C | 16.9 °C | 12.6 °C | 0 | 0% |
| August | 20.5 °C | 16.6 °C | 11.5 °C | 0 | 0% |
| September | 17.2 °C | 12.1 °C | 8.7 °C | 0 | 0% |
| October | 11.6 °C | 5.8 °C | 2.5 °C | 0 | 0% |
| November | 6.1 °C | 0 °C | -5.5 °C | 1.3 | 47% |
| December | 1.5 °C | -5.4 °C | -11.1 °C | 9.8 | 98% |
Frost here means a night minimum at or below 0 °C at 2 m. Frost nights is the average count per month; years with frost is how many years had at least one.
Frost alerts for your garden or field
LayEarth Business Agro sends an alert when the forecast low at your saved site drops below your threshold (0 °C by default), with frost risk, hours below zero and white or black frost for each forecast day. LayEarth Pro, from 9 USD a month, adds alerts for the places you follow.
Temperature map around New York
The live temperature layer of the map (NOAA GFS forecast): watch the cold nights coming hour by hour.
More for New York
Weather in New York now · Will it rain today in New York? · Open the temperature map on New York
Questions
- When is the last frost in New York?
- On average around 29 March. In an early year the last frost comes by 21 March, in a late one (1 year in 10) after 10 April.
- When is the first frost in New York?
- On average around 2 December. In 1 year in 10 it comes before 19 November, in a mild year not until 18 December.
- How long is the growing season in New York?
- About 248 frost-free days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost, from 230 in a short year to 265 in a long one.
- When can I plant tomatoes in New York?
- Frost-tender plants such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and courgettes go out after the last frost: after 10 April the risk is down to 1 year in 10. Hardy crops can go earlier.
- How cold does it get in New York?
- The coldest night of winter averages -10.5 °C; the lowest since 1981 was -15.5 °C in 1994.
Frost dates nearby
Philadelphia · Baltimore · Boston · Washington · Virginia Beach · Buffalo
How these dates are computed
Daily minimum temperature at 2 m from NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis, public domain), 1981–2025, corrected from the ~50 km grid to the real altitude of New York (6.5 °C per km). For each year: the last night at or below 0 °C before midsummer and the first one after it; the dates are the median and the 10% / 90% of those years. A garden in a frost pocket or a city centre can differ by days. Live temperatures: the temperature layer of the map.