Philmont, NY 12513 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Philmont, NY?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/04, roughly 249 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/11, about 160 frost-free days later.
Philmont sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Philmont 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
05/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/22 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Philmont compares
Philmont's growing season runs about 160 days, ranking 32,405 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 1,118 of 1,951.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Philmont can differ from the 12513 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Philmont's frost date answer different questions.