Hunter, NY 12444 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Hunter, NY?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/20, about 265 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/27, about 129 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Hunter in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 4 weeks of growing season left in Hunter before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/20 isn't a guarantee
05/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/04 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Hunter compares
About 129 days separate Hunter's last and first frost, putting it 38,496 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NY, it ranks 1,913 of 1,951.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Hunter's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Hunter's dates instead of trusting one.