When to plant in Marcellus, NY

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

Last spring frost

Early · riskyApr 289 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMay 8about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outMay 171 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 16about half of years have had frost
LateOct 299 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 161 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Auburn · 17.5 km away · station 235 m, town 208 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

Build my Marcellus plan

Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 22 – Apr 5	May 17 – May 31	Jul 11
Sweet pepper	Mar 8 – Mar 22	May 17 – May 31	Jul 16
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 6 – Mar 13	Apr 10 – Apr 24	May 20
Peas	—	Apr 10 – May 8	Jun 4
Bush beans	—	May 10 – May 31	Jun 29
Carrot	—	Apr 19 – May 31	Jun 18
Beet	—	Apr 19 – May 31	Jun 8
Potato	—	Apr 19 – May 10	Jun 28
Kale	Mar 6 – Mar 20	Apr 17 – May 1	May 30
Broccoli	Feb 27 – Mar 13	Apr 10 – May 1	Jun 9
Cucumber	Apr 19 – Apr 26	May 17 – May 31	Jul 6
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 19 – Apr 26	May 17 – May 31	Jul 1
Winter squash	Apr 19 – Apr 26	May 17 – May 31	Aug 5
Sweet corn	—	May 10 – May 31	Jul 9
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 10 – May 1	Jul 9
Garlic	—	Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 10 – May 8	May 18
Basil	Apr 5 – Apr 19	May 17 – May 31	Jul 13

Plan all 65 crops for Marcellus

Marcellus'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
1898	May 9
1899	May 15
1901	Apr 12
1902	May 14
1903	May 5
1904	Apr 22
1905	May 2
1906	May 21
1907	May 21
1908	May 5
1909	May 2
1910	May 14
1911	May 5
1912	Apr 28
1913	May 12
1914	May 1
1915	Apr 18
1916	Apr 10
1917	Apr 30
1918	Apr 25
1919	Apr 27
1920	Apr 25
1922	Apr 28
1923	May 11
1924	Apr 21
1925	Apr 29
1926	May 5
1927	May 3
1928	May 14
1929	Apr 23
1930	Apr 28
1931	May 1
1932	May 3
1933	Apr 28
1934	Apr 29
1935	May 3
1936	May 16
1937	Apr 17
1938	Apr 23
1939	May 3
1940	May 12
1941	May 3
1942	Apr 13
1943	May 1
1944	May 19
1945	May 11
1946	May 3
1947	May 10
1948	Apr 18
1949	Apr 25
1950	May 8
1951	Apr 21
1952	Apr 16
1953	Apr 21
1954	Apr 9
1955	Apr 9
1956	May 17
1957	May 3
1958	May 6
1959	Apr 22
1960	May 2
1961	Apr 20
1962	Apr 20
1963	May 12
1964	Apr 16
1965	Apr 25
1966	May 10
1967	May 23
1968	May 7
1969	May 1
1970	May 8
1971	Apr 27
1977	May 15
1985	Apr 17
1986	May 4
1987	May 4
1992	May 25
2000	Apr 24
2004	Apr 29
2005	May 14
2006	May 7
2007	May 13
2008	May 2
2009	May 12
2010	May 12
2011	Apr 23
2012	May 1
2013	May 15
2014	Apr 29
2015	May 23
2016	May 10
2017	May 11
2018	May 2
2019	Apr 29
2020	May 14
2021	May 1
2022	May 8
2023	May 19
2024	Apr 27
2025	Apr 18
2026	May 13

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1898	160
1899	139
1901	188
1902	148
1903	171
1905	173
1906	139
1907	140
1908	150
1909	163
1910	151
1911	155
1912	170
1913	172
1914	178
1915	202
1916	216
1917	162
1918	199
1919	189
1920	198
1923	164
1924	195
1925	163
1926	182
1927	179
1928	165
1929	169
1930	174
1931	146
1932	180
1933	168
1934	166
1935	165
1936	162
1937	179
1938	166
1939	164
1940	156
1941	175
1942	196
1943	161
1944	153
1945	177
1946	195
1947	135
1948	168
1949	189
1950	170
1951	193
1952	186
1953	174
1954	180
1955	198
1956	160
1957	147
1958	152
1959	179
1960	174
1961	185
1962	186
1963	173
1964	173
1965	162
1966	168
1967	136
1968	188
1969	173
1970	161
1977	145
1986	157
1987	159
1992	121
2004	158
2005	158
2008	157
2009	152
2010	170
2011	187
2012	164
2013	166
2014	165
2015	147
2016	168
2017	158
2018	168
2019	192
2020	155
2021	186
2022	159
2023	166
2024	182
2025	174

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1898	17.7 °C
1899	17.8 °C
1901	18.2 °C
1902	16.2 °C
1903	16.2 °C
1905	16.4 °C
1906	17.2 °C
1907	14.9 °C
1908	16.9 °C
1909	15.8 °C
1910	16.2 °C
1911	17.1 °C
1912	15.8 °C
1913	16.5 °C
1914	16.3 °C
1915	16.5 °C
1916	17.1 °C
1917	15.5 °C
1918	16.3 °C
1919	17.0 °C
1920	16.3 °C
1922	16.9 °C
1924	15.3 °C
1925	16.6 °C
1926	15.5 °C
1927	15.8 °C
1928	16.1 °C
1929	16.6 °C
1930	16.8 °C
1931	17.7 °C
1932	16.8 °C
1933	18.4 °C
1934	17.6 °C
1935	15.9 °C
1936	16.7 °C
1937	17.4 °C
1938	17.1 °C
1939	17.2 °C
1940	15.8 °C
1941	17.9 °C
1942	17.4 °C
1943	16.5 °C
1944	17.6 °C
1945	17.0 °C
1946	16.4 °C
1947	16.6 °C
1948	16.4 °C
1949	17.4 °C
1950	15.4 °C
1951	16.2 °C
1952	17.1 °C
1953	16.6 °C
1954	16.1 °C
1955	17.8 °C
1956	15.0 °C
1957	16.3 °C
1958	15.6 °C
1959	17.6 °C
1960	16.5 °C
1961	16.4 °C
1962	16.3 °C
1963	15.4 °C
1964	16.4 °C
1965	15.7 °C
1966	15.8 °C
1967	15.7 °C
1968	16.8 °C
1969	16.1 °C
1970	15.9 °C
1985	18.3 °C
1986	16.5 °C
1987	17.4 °C
1991	17.7 °C
1992	15.3 °C
2004	16.5 °C
2005	17.4 °C
2007	16.4 °C
2008	16.5 °C
2009	16.0 °C
2010	17.6 °C
2011	17.2 °C
2012	17.2 °C
2013	16.3 °C
2014	16.0 °C
2015	17.1 °C
2016	16.9 °C
2017	16.6 °C
2018	17.0 °C
2019	16.2 °C
2020	16.7 °C
2021	17.0 °C
2022	16.8 °C
2023	16.3 °C
2024	17.4 °C
2025	16.8 °C
2026	16.2 °C

What this means for you: Since 1898, Marcellus's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

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

Nearby towns

Camillus Skaneateles Elbridge Fairmount Westvale Peru (near Village Green)