Plattsburgh, NY 12972 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Plattsburgh, NY?
Around 05/04 is the usual last spring frost, about 249 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 152 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Plattsburgh in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 5 weeks of growing season left in Plattsburgh before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Plattsburgh's last frost
05/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/24 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/17 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Plattsburgh compares
Plattsburgh's growing season runs about 152 days, ranking 34,705 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 1,459 of 1,951.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Plattsburgh can differ from the 12972 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Plattsburgh's frost date answer different questions.