When to plant in Norfolk, NY

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

Last spring frost

Early · riskyApr 299 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMay 10about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outMay 191 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 191 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalOct 4about half of years have had frost
LateOct 189 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 148 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Massena Intl Ap · 18.5 km away · station 61 m, town 79 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 24 – Apr 7	May 19 – Jun 2	Jul 13
Sweet pepper	Mar 10 – Mar 24	May 19 – Jun 2	Jul 18
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 11 – Mar 18	Apr 15 – Apr 29	May 25
Peas	—	Apr 15 – May 13	Jun 9
Bush beans	—	May 12 – Jun 2	Jul 1
Carrot	—	Apr 22 – Jun 3	Jun 21
Beet	—	Apr 22 – Jun 3	Jun 11
Potato	—	Apr 22 – May 13	Jul 1
Kale	Mar 11 – Mar 25	Apr 22 – May 6	Jun 4
Broccoli	Mar 4 – Mar 18	Apr 15 – May 6	Jun 14
Cucumber	Apr 21 – Apr 28	May 19 – Jun 2	Jul 8
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 21 – Apr 28	May 19 – Jun 2	Jul 3
Winter squash	Apr 21 – Apr 28	May 19 – Jun 2	Aug 7
Sweet corn	—	May 12 – Jun 2	Jul 11
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 15 – May 6	Jul 14
Garlic	—	Sep 20 – Oct 18 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 15 – May 13	May 23
Basil	Apr 7 – Apr 21	May 19 – Jun 2	Jul 15

Plan all 65 crops for Norfolk

Norfolk'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
1949	May 13
1950	May 14
1951	Apr 21
1952	May 5
1953	May 3
1954	May 27
1955	May 10
1956	May 25
1957	May 21
1958	May 27
1959	May 18
1960	Apr 29
1961	May 31
1962	May 12
1963	May 25
1964	May 21
1965	May 14
1966	May 11
1967	May 30
1968	May 11
1969	May 27
1970	May 7
1971	Apr 18
1972	May 26
1973	Apr 14
1974	May 6
1975	May 7
1976	Apr 26
1977	May 4
1978	May 4
1979	May 7
1980	Apr 23
1981	May 18
1982	Apr 29
1983	May 18
1984	Apr 23
1985	May 9
1986	Jun 3
1987	May 19
1988	May 15
1989	Apr 29
1990	May 6
1991	May 19
1992	May 6
1993	May 14
1994	May 14
1995	May 7
1996	Apr 29
1997	May 8
1998	Apr 27
1999	May 12
2000	Jun 5
2001	May 15
2002	May 25
2003	May 4
2004	May 8
2005	May 19
2006	May 7
2007	May 7
2008	May 5
2009	May 12
2010	May 13
2011	May 6
2012	Apr 30
2013	May 15
2014	May 7
2015	May 23
2016	May 17
2017	May 4
2018	Apr 23
2019	Apr 29
2020	May 14
2021	May 30
2022	May 9
2023	May 23
2024	Apr 27

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1949	135
1950	130
1951	160
1952	151
1953	129
1954	132
1955	134
1956	107
1957	128
1958	127
1959	120
1960	154
1961	121
1962	131
1963	111
1964	114
1965	135
1966	138
1967	103
1968	146
1969	114
1970	151
1971	177
1972	119
1973	155
1974	135
1975	148
1976	167
1977	155
1978	141
1979	135
1980	153
1981	135
1982	164
1983	143
1984	146
1985	146
1986	124
1987	130
1988	136
1989	148
1990	135
1991	123
1992	139
1993	128
1994	149
1995	134
1996	157
1997	138
1998	159
1999	147
2000	111
2001	137
2002	135
2003	150
2004	148
2005	153
2006	145
2007	158
2008	136
2009	152
2010	157
2011	152
2012	161
2013	160
2014	134
2015	137
2016	146
2017	164
2018	177
2019	157
2020	126
2021	144
2022	143
2023	152
2024	163

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1949	16.2 °C
1950	14.7 °C
1951	15.4 °C
1952	15.7 °C
1953	15.4 °C
1954	14.3 °C
1955	16.7 °C
1956	13.4 °C
1957	15.1 °C
1958	14.4 °C
1959	16.4 °C
1960	15.4 °C
1961	15.1 °C
1962	14.5 °C
1963	14.3 °C
1964	14.9 °C
1965	14.3 °C
1966	14.4 °C
1967	13.9 °C
1968	15.2 °C
1969	14.7 °C
1970	15.4 °C
1971	15.7 °C
1972	14.5 °C
1973	16.5 °C
1974	14.8 °C
1975	15.8 °C
1976	15.0 °C
1977	15.7 °C
1978	15.1 °C
1979	15.6 °C
1980	15.5 °C
1981	15.6 °C
1982	14.9 °C
1983	15.7 °C
1984	15.6 °C
1985	15.1 °C
1986	14.8 °C
1987	15.8 °C
1988	16.0 °C
1989	15.4 °C
1990	15.1 °C
1991	16.5 °C
1992	14.7 °C
1993	16.3 °C
1994	16.3 °C
1995	16.1 °C
1996	16.1 °C
1997	15.8 °C
1998	17.4 °C
1999	16.2 °C
2000	13.9 °C
2001	15.5 °C
2002	15.3 °C
2003	15.1 °C
2004	15.0 °C
2005	16.2 °C
2006	15.7 °C
2007	15.4 °C
2009	15.1 °C
2010	16.9 °C
2011	16.9 °C
2012	16.4 °C
2013	15.5 °C
2014	15.3 °C
2015	16.4 °C
2016	16.0 °C
2017	16.0 °C
2018	16.5 °C
2019	15.3 °C
2020	15.5 °C
2021	16.4 °C
2022	15.9 °C
2023	15.9 °C
2024	16.7 °C

What this means for you: Since 1949, Norfolk's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

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

Nearby towns

Norwood Potsdam Massena Hannawa Falls Canton Ogdensburg