Frost dates for Rochester, 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 24
typical year
Safe to plant
May 8
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 25
typical year
Growing season
181 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Aug 30 – Sep 13 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Aug 30 – Sep 13 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 27 – May 8 | Sep 13 – 27 |
| Onions | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 3 – 17 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 3 – 24 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Beets | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – 27 | Apr 10 – 24 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Cabbage | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 13 – Oct 4 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 13 – 27 | May 8 – 22 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 6 – 20 | May 15 – 29 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 8 – 29 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 8 – Jun 5 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 8 – 29 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 8 – Aug 16 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 8 – Jun 5 | – |
| Basil | Apr 3 – 17 | May 15 – 22 | – |
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 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | May 8 | April 24 | April 12 |
| Fall frost before | October 8 | October 25 | November 7 |
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 14 (April 26 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 6.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Rochester
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station ROCHESTER GTR INTL AP, NY US (USW00014768), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 29 zip codes, all within 10 miles:
14428, 14467, 14514, 14515, 14546, 14586, 14604, 14605, 14606, 14607, 14608, 14609, 14610, 14611, 14612, 14613, 14614, 14615, 14616, 14617, 14618, 14619, 14620, 14621, 14623, 14624, 14626, 14627, 14642
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.