Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Poughkeepsie, NY, ZIP 12603
Around 04/30 is the usual last spring frost, about 245 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/14, about 168 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Poughkeepsie in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°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
Zone 6b around Poughkeepsie has about 7 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 04/30 isn't a guarantee
04/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Poughkeepsie compares
Poughkeepsie's growing season runs about 168 days, ranking 29,669 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 831 of 1,951.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Poughkeepsie's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Poughkeepsie can differ from the 12603 normal.