FrostDateFinder

Home › States › Syracuse

Syracuse, New York frost dates

Average last spring frost: April 29. Average first fall frost: October 19. That gives a growing season of about 173 days. For frost-tender plants, a safer planting date is May 13, after which a freeze happens in only 1 year in 10.
Last frost (50%)
Apr 29
1-in-10 risk after May 13
First frost (50%)
Oct 19
1-in-10 risk before Oct 2
Growing season
173 days
median frost-free days
Hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 16
median last 28°F in spring

Frost risk by date

Chance of frostSpring: frost afterFall: frost before
90%April 16November 4
70%April 23October 26
50%April 29October 19
30%May 5October 11
10%May 13October 2

Read the spring column like this: there is a 10% chance of a 32°F freeze after May 13. These are NOAA probabilities for the Syracuse Hancock International Airport weather station (USW00014771, elevation 126 m), 1991–2020.

Syracuse vegetable planting calendar

Dates count from the 50% last-frost date (April 29). For tomatoes, peppers and other frost-tender crops, waiting until the 10% date (May 13) is the cautious choice.

CropStart seeds indoorsPlant out
BeansApr 8May 6 (usually sown directly in the garden)
BroccoliFeb 18Apr 1
Brussels sproutsFeb 18Apr 1
CabbageFeb 11Mar 25
CauliflowerMar 4Apr 15
Sweet cornApr 1Apr 29 (usually sown directly in the garden)
CucumbersApr 15May 6
KaleFeb 11Mar 25
LeeksJan 14Mar 25
LettuceMar 11Apr 15
MelonsApr 22May 13
OnionsJan 7Mar 18 (from seed; sets and transplants go out at the same time)
PeasMar 4Apr 1 (usually sown directly in the garden)
PeppersMar 18May 13
SquashApr 22May 13
TomatoesMar 4Apr 29

Offsets from Oregon State University Extension's seed-starting table. "Plant out" means transplant, or sow directly for crops usually grown from seed.

Fall frost and season extension

The first fall freeze usually arrives around October 19. There's a 1-in-10 chance it comes before October 2. Harvest tender crops such as basil, tomatoes, peppers and squash before then, or cover them on cold nights. Cool-season crops like kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts handle light frost, and often taste sweeter after it. A hard freeze (28°F) typically comes around November 2.

Nearby cities

CityLast frost (50%)First frost (50%)Distance
Rochester, NYApr 24Oct 25~127 km
Albany, NYApr 27Oct 15~190 km
Buffalo, NYApr 24Oct 26~214 km
Allentown, PAApr 20Oct 24~278 km
Burlington, VTApr 29Oct 15~283 km
Hartford, CTApr 21Oct 16~306 km

More: all New York frost dates