Frost Report

All states New York

Frost dates for Silver Creek, 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

May 5

typical year

Safe to plant

May 20

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 20

typical year

Growing season

167 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 7 – 21 –
Spinach – Mar 24 – Apr 14 Aug 25 – Sep 8
Lettuce – Apr 7 – 28 Aug 25 – Sep 8
Radishes – Apr 7 – May 19 Sep 8 – 22
Onions – Apr 7 – 21 –
Potatoes – Apr 14 – 28 –
Carrots – Apr 14 – May 5 Jul 28 – Aug 11
Beets – Apr 7 – 21 Aug 11 – 25
Kale Feb 24 – Mar 10 Apr 7 – 21 Aug 11 – 25
Broccoli Feb 24 – Mar 10 Apr 21 – May 5 Aug 11 – 25
Cabbage Feb 10 – 24 Apr 7 – 21 Aug 11 – 25
Garlic – – Sep 8 – 29
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 25 – Apr 8 May 20 – Jun 3 –
Peppers Mar 18 – Apr 1 May 27 – Jun 10 –
Cucumbers – May 20 – Jun 10 –
Zucchini – May 20 – Jun 17 –
Pumpkins – May 20 – Jun 10 –
Green beans – May 20 – Aug 11 –
Sweet corn – May 20 – Jun 17 –
Basil Apr 15 – 29 May 27 – Jun 3 –

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 20May 5April 22
Fall frost before October 5October 20November 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 24 (May 9 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 2.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.

Silver Creek

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station DUNKIRK CHAUTAUQUA AP, NY US (USW00014747), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 3 zip codes, all within 7 miles:

14062, 14135, 14136

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