Marilyn, when I put my zip code in, it gives me the dates for Westfield NY, which is 30 minutes away, but on the lake plain and therefore in a different zone than I am in. They are zone 6 because of the modifying effect of Lake Erie. I am zone 5a because I am inland and on a hill at 1800 feet. My daughter who lives 3 miles from me is in a valley and gets later and earlier frosts than we do. I like the idea of the Garden Planting Calendar, but you need to know your area and the way the zones fall. Being near water or at a different altitude changes everything. Our house is at a higher altitude than some of our crop land and there are times when the lower fields will get frosted while we get nothing in the yard.

Thanks Kathleen!

Kathleen,

I like the Sunset Climate Zones for advice about my specific zone.
And "Weather Underground" for really detailed weather from specific weather stations.
http://www.wunderground.com/q/...

I searched (in the search bar at the top of the page) for "Westfield NY", and got a choice of around 12 stations. Would one of these be closer to you?

Weather Station - Meadville (KGKJ) - Elevation - 1398 ft
East Lakewood Weather, Lakewood - Elevation - 1325 ft
Jamestown (KJHW) - Elevation - 1722 ft (airport??)

I keep a link to "Weather Underground" in my signature block, as "W.U."

I like "Weather Underground" too. There's a station less than 1/4 mile away....sweet. Many of these are "personal weather stations" so not used by NOAA.

Rick and Evan,

How did you find out about this website?

I used the link you posted just above, Rick and changed it for Hebron, KY. It states the elevation is 800 ft.

http://www.wunderground.com/cg...

Changed it again for Centerville, OH. It states elevation is 978 ft.

http://www.wunderground.com/q/...

It's the one we use here at the golf course. It is pretty accurate for our area.
http://www.wunderground.com/cg...

Hi Rick, sorry it took me so long to get back. I have used WU in the past, but rely more on the USWX site for the most locally correct weather. The Jamestown site is indeed the airport. Jamestown is a city built on hills rising up from the south end of Chautauqua Lake and around its outlet, the Chadakoin River. We are on the west side of Chautauqua Lake in what is known as the inland hills. When the weather guys in Buffalo say the snow will be mainly on the hilltops south and west of the city, that is us. Western New York is notoriously difficult to predict accurately because of the lakes and the large changes in elevation from one mile to the next. We are in what is known as the Allegheny foothills, a minor range in the Appalachian Mountain Range. I think there are three or four hills in the county that are higher than we are.

Wow, lake effect AND hills. I bet you have micro-climates and even nano climates.

>> How did you find out about this website?

Lynn (valleylynn) suggested it over on the "climate" thread.

http://garden.org/thread/view_...

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