When to plant in Adams, NY

Planting dates worked out from Adams's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyApr 239 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMay 4about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outMay 131 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

EarlySep 301 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalOct 9about half of years have had frost
LateOct 209 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 159 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Watertown · 22.1 km away · station 152 m, town 187 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 18 – Apr 1	May 13 – May 27	Jul 7
Sweet pepper	Mar 4 – Mar 18	May 13 – May 27	Jul 12
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 8 – Mar 15	Apr 12 – Apr 26	May 22
Peas	—	Apr 12 – May 10	Jun 6
Bush beans	—	May 6 – May 27	Jun 25
Carrot	—	Apr 21 – Jun 2	Jun 20
Beet	—	Apr 21 – Jun 2	Jun 10
Potato	—	Apr 21 – May 12	Jun 30
Kale	Mar 8 – Mar 22	Apr 19 – May 3	Jun 1
Broccoli	Mar 1 – Mar 15	Apr 12 – May 3	Jun 11
Cucumber	Apr 15 – Apr 22	May 13 – May 27	Jul 2
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 15 – Apr 22	May 13 – May 27	Jun 27
Winter squash	Apr 15 – Apr 22	May 13 – May 27	Aug 1
Sweet corn	—	May 6 – May 27	Jul 5
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 12 – May 3	Jul 11
Garlic	—	Sep 25 – Oct 23 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 12 – May 10	May 20
Basil	Apr 1 – Apr 15	May 13 – May 27	Jul 9

Plan all 65 crops for Adams

Adams's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Last spring frost
1895	May 22
1896	Apr 23
1898	May 9
1899	Apr 17
1900	May 12
1901	Apr 20
1902	May 15
1903	May 5
1904	May 12
1905	May 2
1906	May 21
1907	May 29
1908	May 5
1909	May 2
1910	May 14
1911	May 5
1913	May 12
1914	May 2
1915	May 27
1916	Apr 19
1917	May 15
1918	May 11
1919	May 6
1920	Apr 26
1921	Apr 19
1922	Apr 30
1923	May 14
1924	Apr 27
1925	May 9
1926	May 5
1927	May 1
1928	May 14
1929	May 20
1930	Apr 28
1931	May 1
1932	May 5
1933	May 8
1934	May 16
1935	May 16
1936	May 21
1937	Apr 24
1938	Apr 24
1939	May 3
1940	May 12
1941	May 12
1942	Apr 13
1943	May 1
1944	May 19
1945	Jun 1
1946	May 3
1947	May 10
1948	Apr 29
1949	May 11
1950	May 14
1951	May 10
1952	May 8
1953	Apr 20
1954	May 7
1955	May 17
1956	May 24
1957	May 17
1958	May 10
1959	May 16
1960	May 2
1961	Apr 20
1962	May 9
1963	May 12
1964	Jun 5
1965	Apr 25
1966	May 11
1967	May 23
1968	May 7
1969	May 26
1970	May 7
1971	May 1
1972	Apr 29
1973	Apr 30
1974	May 5
1975	Apr 28
1976	Apr 29
1977	May 9
1978	May 4
1979	May 17
1980	Apr 22
1981	May 18
1982	May 4
1983	May 17
1984	May 3
1986	May 4
1987	May 8
1989	Apr 29
1990	Apr 19
1991	Apr 14
1992	May 7
1993	Apr 29
1994	May 13
1995	May 8
1996	May 13
1997	May 8
1998	Apr 28
1999	May 13
2000	Apr 26
2001	Apr 29
2002	May 21
2003	Apr 26
2004	Apr 29
2005	May 13
2006	Apr 29
2007	May 13
2008	May 1
2009	Apr 16
2010	May 10
2011	Apr 23
2012	May 1
2013	Apr 27
2014	May 7
2015	May 23
2016	Apr 28
2017	May 10
2018	Apr 23
2019	Apr 29
2020	May 13
2021	May 2
2022	May 1
2023	Apr 27
2024	Apr 27
2025	Apr 23
2026	May 12

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1896	152
1898	134
1899	166
1900	129
1901	167
1902	147
1903	167
1904	132
1905	134
1906	132
1907	132
1908	150
1909	168
1910	151
1911	150
1913	125
1914	163
1915	123
1916	164
1917	146
1918	122
1919	154
1920	186
1921	172
1922	148
1923	144
1924	164
1925	135
1926	165
1927	160
1928	146
1929	123
1930	158
1931	160
1932	147
1933	158
1934	137
1935	136
1936	135
1937	167
1938	160
1939	164
1940	136
1941	157
1942	168
1943	146
1944	137
1945	120
1946	150
1947	135
1948	157
1949	166
1950	133
1951	141
1952	148
1953	170
1954	152
1955	157
1956	126
1957	132
1958	148
1959	122
1960	171
1961	167
1962	134
1963	133
1964	123
1965	154
1966	159
1967	136
1968	172
1969	148
1970	162
1971	187
1972	154
1973	143
1974	140
1975	157
1976	164
1977	151
1978	144
1979	145
1980	159
1981	134
1982	165
1983	145
1984	146
1986	155
1987	156
1989	162
1990	151
1991	168
1992	146
1993	158
1994	142
1995	161
1996	143
1997	138
1998	177
1999	146
2000	155
2001	161
2002	145
2003	159
2004	158
2005	160
2008	158
2009	178
2010	161
2011	166
2012	164
2013	179
2014	165
2015	147
2016	164
2017	159
2018	177
2019	158
2020	128
2021	185
2022	154
2023	186
2024	170
2025	168

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1895	16.8 °C
1896	16.8 °C
1898	17.2 °C
1899	16.8 °C
1900	16.6 °C
1901	16.9 °C
1902	15.6 °C
1903	15.5 °C
1904	15.5 °C
1905	15.6 °C
1906	16.5 °C
1907	14.6 °C
1908	16.5 °C
1909	15.4 °C
1910	15.8 °C
1911	16.6 °C
1913	15.9 °C
1914	15.5 °C
1915	15.8 °C
1916	17.1 °C
1917	15.1 °C
1918	15.9 °C
1919	16.7 °C
1920	16.3 °C
1921	18.7 °C
1922	17.3 °C
1923	16.0 °C
1924	15.2 °C
1925	16.3 °C
1926	14.8 °C
1927	15.1 °C
1928	15.6 °C
1929	15.9 °C
1930	16.5 °C
1931	17.4 °C
1932	15.8 °C
1933	17.6 °C
1934	16.9 °C
1935	15.9 °C
1936	16.5 °C
1937	16.8 °C
1938	16.5 °C
1939	16.7 °C
1940	15.8 °C
1941	17.4 °C
1942	17.1 °C
1943	15.9 °C
1944	17.2 °C
1945	16.4 °C
1946	15.9 °C
1947	16.1 °C
1948	16.0 °C
1949	17.1 °C
1950	15.2 °C
1951	15.9 °C
1952	16.5 °C
1953	16.1 °C
1954	15.5 °C
1955	17.8 °C
1956	14.7 °C
1957	16.1 °C
1958	15.4 °C
1959	17.2 °C
1960	16.4 °C
1961	16.1 °C
1962	15.8 °C
1963	15.1 °C
1964	16.3 °C
1965	15.4 °C
1966	15.5 °C
1967	15.7 °C
1968	16.2 °C
1969	16.0 °C
1970	16.5 °C
1971	15.6 °C
1972	15.4 °C
1973	17.0 °C
1974	15.6 °C
1975	16.1 °C
1976	15.5 °C
1977	16.1 °C
1978	15.7 °C
1979	16.0 °C
1980	16.1 °C
1981	16.1 °C
1982	15.6 °C
1983	16.2 °C
1984	15.9 °C
1986	16.1 °C
1987	17.0 °C
1989	16.0 °C
1990	16.2 °C
1991	16.9 °C
1992	15.0 °C
1993	16.1 °C
1994	16.2 °C
1995	16.2 °C
1996	16.2 °C
1997	15.2 °C
1998	17.4 °C
1999	17.4 °C
2000	15.6 °C
2001	17.2 °C
2002	16.7 °C
2003	16.1 °C
2004	16.4 °C
2005	17.5 °C
2008	16.7 °C
2009	15.9 °C
2010	17.6 °C
2011	17.4 °C
2012	17.6 °C
2013	16.6 °C
2014	16.3 °C
2015	17.2 °C
2016	17.0 °C
2017	16.5 °C
2018	17.1 °C
2019	15.9 °C
2020	16.3 °C
2021	16.7 °C
2022	16.8 °C
2023	15.9 °C
2024	17.0 °C
2025	16.5 °C

What this means for you: Since 1895, Adams's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 1 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Watertown (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Adams Center Sackets Harbor Watertown Dexter Brownville Richland