Frost Report

All states New York

Frost dates for Penn Yan, NY

When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.

Last spring frost

April 30

typical year

Safe to plant

May 14

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 22

typical year

Growing season

173 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Apr 2 – 16 –
Spinach – Mar 19 – Apr 9 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Lettuce – Apr 2 – 23 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Radishes – Apr 2 – May 14 Sep 10 – 24
Onions – Apr 2 – 16 –
Potatoes – Apr 9 – 23 –
Carrots – Apr 9 – 30 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Beets – Apr 2 – 16 Aug 13 – 27
Kale Feb 19 – Mar 5 Apr 2 – 16 Aug 13 – 27
Broccoli Feb 19 – Mar 5 Apr 16 – 30 Aug 13 – 27
Cabbage Feb 5 – 19 Apr 2 – 16 Aug 13 – 27
Garlic – – Sep 10 – Oct 1
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 19 – Apr 2 May 14 – 28 –
Peppers Mar 12 – 26 May 21 – Jun 4 –
Cucumbers – May 14 – Jun 4 –
Zucchini – May 14 – Jun 11 –
Pumpkins – May 14 – Jun 4 –
Green beans – May 14 – Aug 13 –
Sweet corn – May 14 – Jun 11 –
Basil Apr 9 – 23 May 21 – 28 –

Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.

The year at a glance

Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting

The chance of frost, by date

1 year in 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after May 14April 30April 18
Fall frost before October 5October 22November 4

Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.

Hard freeze (28°F)

A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 18 (May 3 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 3.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 3 towns.

Penn Yan, Dundee, Dresden

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station PENN YAN AP, NY US (USW00054778), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 11 zip codes, all within 12 miles:

14415, 14418, 14441, 14478, 14507, 14527, 14588, 14837, 14842, 14874, 14893

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.