New York, NY 11203 Frost Dates
When can you plant in New York, NY?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/02, about 217 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/14, about 226 frost-free days later.
Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for New York, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 11 weeks of growing season left in New York before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/20 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How New York compares
New York's growing season runs about 226 days, ranking 11,091 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 73 of 1,951.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in New York can differ from the 11203 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and New York's frost date answer different questions.