Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 12206
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 12206 in zone 6a (the coldest night of a typical year: -10 to -5°F).
The nearest station, Albany, NY, is 5 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 27 in half of years and after May 11 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 6a.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, NYAlbany International Airport | 5 mi | 312 ft | April 27 | May 11 | October 15 | 6a |
| Troy, NYTroy Lock and Dam | 7 mi | 15 ft | April 19 | May 3 | October 26 | 6a |
| Alcove Dam, NY | 16 mi | 607 ft | May 3 | May 18 | October 12 | 5b |
| Valatie, NY1 mi N | 17 mi | 300 ft | April 27 | May 11 | October 14 | – |
| Grafton, NY | 18 mi | 1,560 ft | May 1 | May 15 | October 11 | – |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Albany
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | May 23 | May 14 | May 8 | April 25 | October 4 | September 23 |
| 32°F | May 11 | May 2 | April 27 | April 16 | October 15 | October 3 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 28 | April 20 | April 16 | April 3 | October 28 | October 11 |
| 24°F | April 16 | April 8 | April 4 | March 21 | November 7 | October 24 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.