Rochester, NY Frost Dates: Last Spring and First Fall Frost

The last spring frost in Rochester, NY comes on April 24 in a typical year, and the first fall frost follows on October 25, leaving a frost-free season of 181 days.

Even odds are a coin toss, so plan around the safer edges: one spring in ten still has a freeze on or after May 8, and one fall in ten has its first freeze by October 8. Against the 100-city median of 229 days, Rochester has 48 days less room before frost returns.

These dates come from the NOAA weather station Rochester Greater International AP (ID USW00014768), 4.8 miles south-west of the Census Bureau's internal point for Rochester, at about 530 feet above sea level.

When is the last frost in Rochester?

Frost is still possible on April 12 in nine springs out of ten and on April 24 in five; only one spring in ten sees a freeze as late as May 8.

Only 26 days separate the earliest and latest of these dates, a tighter run than most of the 100 cities here, so the typical date is a fairly dependable guide in Rochester.

First fall frost in Rochester

In Rochester the first freeze has arrived by October 8 in one fall out of ten, by October 25 in five, and by November 7 in nine.

Fall dates in Rochester spread over 30 days, about the same as the middle of the 100 cities on these pages.

How long is the frost-free season in Rochester?

A little less room than the middle of these pages, so count the days before you choose a variety. Seasons here barely vary: the typical year gives 181 days and a short one still gives 162 days, only 19 days less, a steadier record than most cities on these pages.

These figures are NOAA's own counts of freeze-free days across its simulated years, which is why they can differ a little from the days between the two typical dates. A night at or below 32°F happens in 100% of years at this station, so frost is a yearly event here.

When a hard freeze reaches Rochester

The two freezes sit close together here. The typical hard freeze reaches Rochester on November 6, 12 days after the first frost, and ends on April 14, 10 days ahead of the last. One spring in ten still has a 28°F night on or after April 26, and one fall in ten sees the first by October 25.

Using Rochester's frost dates in the garden

Counting from April 24, University of New Hampshire Extension puts cabbage transplants out on March 27 and lettuce from March 27 to April 3, ahead of the last frost, and holds peppers until May 8 and beans until April 24 or later. The University of New Hampshire Extension sheet gives peas no frost count at all; sow them as soon as the soil thaws.

Counting from the late date, May 8, instead of the typical one delays every after-frost crop by 14 days. That is the price of a one-in-ten spring that most years will not need.

Rochester's first frost leaves room for only 28 of the 34 fall crops, counting back NC State Extension's days to harvest and University of Georgia Extension's harvest allowance of 18 days; for the other 6 the last planting day falls before July. The slowest crop that still fits is broccoli, which needs 98 days before the early first frost and so must be in by July 2.

Worked example: a tomato plan for Rochester

Suppose you want tomatoes in Rochester. University of New Hampshire Extension says to set transplants out one to two weeks after the last frost. Counting from the typical date, April 24, the window runs from May 1 to May 8. Counting from the late date, May 8, it moves to May 15 through May 22, which is 14 days later.

To have transplants ready on the first day of the late window, sow seeds six to eight weeks earlier, between March 20 and April 3.

From the last set-out day to the early first frost on October 8 is 139 days. NC State Extension gives 75 to 85 days, and the longer figure still fits with 54 days to spare.

The weather station behind these dates

4.8 miles south-west of the city's internal point, the station is close but not on top of Rochester.

At about 530 feet, it ranks above 38 and below 61 of the 100 stations used for these pages. NOAA flags this station's record as standard, the code S, for the data behind its 50% last-frost value.

Because the Census file has no elevation for Rochester, we cannot say how far your yard is above or below this station. When yours is clearly higher or lower, open the nearby stations in the frost dates tool and favor the colder one.

Rochester compared with nearby cities

The nearest city on these pages is Buffalo, NY, 66 miles away, and the other two below are farther out, so these are regional comparisons, not neighbors.

• Buffalo, NY lies 66 miles west of Rochester. Typical last frost April 24, first frost October 26, 183 days between; spring frost ends about when it does in Rochester, and frost-free days differ from Rochester's by less than a week.
• Pittsburgh, PA lies 224 miles south-west of Rochester. Typical last frost April 18, first frost October 28, 193 days between; spring frost ends 6 days sooner than in Rochester, and the season runs 12 days longer.
• Cleveland, OH, 238 miles to the south-west: last frost April 8, first frost November 12, 217 days frost-free; spring frost ends 16 days sooner than in Rochester, and the season runs 36 days longer.

Next steps for Rochester gardeners

Start with the spring planting planner for the whole crop list counted from these dates, and the fall planting planner for the last planting days. The frost dates tool shows every level of risk at this station, and the hardiness zone lookup covers winter survival for shrubs and perennials.

All the cities on these pages are listed by state on the city frost dates index.

Where these numbers come from

The frost and freeze dates are NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals for 1991–2020 (doi:10.25921/4ek7-fk11), copied from the station's own record without adjustment; NOAA's documentation defines each probability. The Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer places Rochester on the map, and its Vintage 2024 estimates, 207,282 people here, decide which cities get a page.

The planting dates apply the count rules in University of New Hampshire Extension, NC State Extension and University of Georgia Extension to this station's dates, with nothing added. The methodology page explains how each figure is checked.

Frost dates are long-term odds, not a forecast. Before you plant, check the local forecast for the coming week, and keep row cover or old sheets handy for the nights the odds get wrong.