Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 12965 — Nicholville, NY

ZIP code 12965 (Nicholville, St. Lawrence County) is in USDA zone 4b: the coldest winter night averages −25 to −20 °F. The median last spring frost is May 10 and the first fall frost October 5.

Where ZIP 12965 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone4b−25 to −20 °F
Coldest night−31.7 to −28.9 °C
Last frostMay 10
First frostOct 5
2012 zone4b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 4b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Nicholville, NY…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates in Nicholville, NY

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostMay 10median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMay 25only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostOctober 5median — 10% chance by Sep 17
Growing season148 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around April 30 and returns around October 16.

From the NOAA station Lawrenceville 3 Sw, NY — 4 miles away, elevation 466 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in 12965

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Mar 29 – Apr 12
SpinachSow outdoors · Mar 29 – Apr 19
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Mar 1 – Mar 15
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Apr 19 – May 3
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Apr 12 – Apr 26
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Apr 19 – May 3
LettuceSow outdoors · Apr 12 – Apr 26
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Apr 19 – May 3
TomatoesStart indoors · Mar 15 – Mar 29
TomatoesTransplant · May 17 – May 31
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Mar 1 – Mar 15
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · May 24 – Jun 7
BeansSow outdoors · May 17 – May 31
Sweet cornSow outdoors · May 17 – May 31
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · May 17 – May 31
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Aug 10 – Aug 24
GarlicPlant cloves · Sep 21 – Oct 26
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (May 10) and first fall frost (Oct 5) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 12965 came on Apr 16 — 5 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Apr 21).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 4b in New York

526 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in New York, and rated by the USDA to survive −25 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 4b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 60

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican beech80 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −44 °FAmerican chestnut115 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °Farborvitae50 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Shrubs 99

alderleaf buckthorn3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAllegheny serviceberry35 ft · blooms early spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falternateleaf dogwood25 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −47 °FAmerican black currant3 ft · blooms early spring · to −46 °FAmerican hazelnut10 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican hornbeam30 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −34 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 183

alkali buttercup1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican bur-reed3 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican eelgrass1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican licorice4 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican lotus3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −36 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Grasses 166

alkali sacaton3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican beachgrass2.5 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °Farctic brome3 ft · blooms early summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FBailey's sedge2.1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fbeaked sedge4 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Vines 5

American bittersweet15 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Friverbank grape45 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °Ftrumpet honeysuckle16 ft · blooms late summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FVirginia creeper1 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −28 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Nicholville, NY.

Soil in Nicholville, NY

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 12965 is Adams — loamy fine sand, somewhat excessively drained.

TextureLoamy fine sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH5.2strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageSomewhat excessively drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter3.5%moderate
Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast
Farmland classFarmland of statewide importanceUSDA classification

Map unit: Adams loamy fine sand, 2 to 8 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 12965; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Nicholville, NY

Summer high80 °Faverage high, July
Winter low8 °Faverage low, January
Hot days4days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights158nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days2,358base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day15 h 35 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day8 h 48 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growLong-daysummer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too)
Precipitation39.4 inper year, rain and melted snow
Snowfall75 inper year; 97 days with snow on the ground

Average high and low, by month

0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 27 °F, low 8 °F 27°8° JanFebruary: average high 30 °F, low 10 °F 30°10° FebMarch: average high 40 °F, low 20 °F 40°20° MarApril: average high 55 °F, low 33 °F 55°33° AprMay: average high 69 °F, low 44 °F 69°44° MayJune: average high 76 °F, low 55 °F 76°55° JunJuly: average high 80 °F, low 59 °F 80°59° JulAugust: average high 79 °F, low 57 °F 79°57° AugSeptember: average high 72 °F, low 49 °F 72°49° SepOctober: average high 58 °F, low 39 °F 58°39° OctNovember: average high 45 °F, low 29 °F 45°29° NovDecember: average high 33 °F, low 17 °F 33°17° Dec

Precipitation by month inches · ❄ = snowfall

0″1″2″3″4″5″January: 2.47 in precipitation, 16.9 in snowfall 2.5❄17 JanFebruary: 2.09 in precipitation, 15.6 in snowfall 2.1❄16 FebMarch: 2.44 in precipitation, 15.7 in snowfall 2.4❄16 MarApril: 3.21 in precipitation, 4.9 in snowfall 3.2❄5 AprMay: 3.61 in precipitation, 0.2 in snowfall 3.6 MayJune: 3.88 in precipitation 3.9 JunJuly: 3.56 in precipitation 3.6 JulAugust: 3.50 in precipitation 3.5 AugSeptember: 4.21 in precipitation 4.2 SepOctober: 4.20 in precipitation, 0.4 in snowfall 4.2 OctNovember: 3.05 in precipitation, 5.7 in snowfall 3.0❄6 NovDecember: 3.16 in precipitation, 15.8 in snowfall 3.2❄16 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Lawrenceville 3 Sw, NY (4 mi away); precipitation: Lawrenceville 3 Sw, NY (4 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 4b.

129494b
Lawrenceville, NY · 3 mi
129674b
North Lawrence, NY · 4 mi
136974b
Winthrop, NY · 7 mi
129304b
Dickinson Center, NY · 7 mi
136134b
Brasher Falls, NY · 10 mi
136964b
West Stockholm, NY · 10 mi
129574b
Moira, NY · 11 mi
136764b
Potsdam, NY · 12 mi

New York planting zones →

Questions about 12965

What planting zone is ZIP code 12965?

ZIP code 12965 (Nicholville, NY) is in USDA hardiness zone 4b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −25 to −20 °F (−31.7 to −28.9 °C).

When is the last frost in Nicholville, NY?

The median last spring frost (32 °F) near 12965 is May 10; after May 25 there is only a 10% chance of frost. Data: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Lawrenceville 3 Sw station.

When is the first frost in Nicholville, NY?

The median first fall frost near 12965 is October 5, giving a median frost-free growing season of 148 days.

When should I plant tomatoes in 12965?

Start tomato seeds indoors around Mar 15 – Mar 29 and set transplants outside around May 17 – May 31, one to three weeks after the median last frost.

How much rain and snow does 12965 get?

About 39.4 inches of precipitation a year and 75 inches of snowfall (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Lawrenceville 3 Sw station).

How hot do summers get in Nicholville, NY?

The average high peaks at 80 °F in July, with about 4 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 12965 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Adams at the center of ZIP 12965: loamy fine sand, somewhat excessively drained, pH about 5.2 (strongly acidic).

Did spring come early in Nicholville, NY in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 12965 came on Apr 16 in 2026, 5 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Apr 21), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Nicholville, NY?

Long-day onions: the longest day near 12965 is 15 h 35 min, so summer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too).