Red Hook, NY 12571 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Red Hook, NY, ZIP 12571
Around 05/14 is the usual last spring frost, about 259 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/28, about 134 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Red Hook, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 6a around Red Hook has about 4 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 05/14 isn't a guarantee
05/14 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/30 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Red Hook compares
Red Hook's growing season runs about 134 days, ranking 37,976 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 1,863 of 1,951.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Red Hook can differ from the 12571 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 6a and Red Hook's frost date answer different questions.