Queens climate

Queens Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New York Jfk Intl AP, 7.9 km from Queens, elevation 11 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New York Jfk Intl AP. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 2 and the first fall freeze around November 14, a growing season of about 226 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 11, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 14
Median at 28°F
last March 23, first November 26

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1
32°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20
28°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9
24°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
20°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 20Feb 11
16°FMar 7Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 25

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
32°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
28°FNov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13
24°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 29
20°FDec 1Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 13
16°FDec 16Dec 24Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 8Jan 13Jan 18Jan 26

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F221215211207203200197193187
32°F247239234230226223219214209
28°F270261256251247243239234227
24°F292284278274269264260254246
20°F316307302297292287282275267
16°F337330325319313308304299292

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
99% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
4,872
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,017
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,939
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,623
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,483
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,504
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,685

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99701
February85302
March739014
April427295
May17130326
June21177606
July0346811
August1311775
September33135552
October25515242
November546051
December82908

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 7.9 km from Queens. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00094789 (New York Jfk Intl AP). Public domain.