Lake Placid, NY 12997 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lake Placid, NY?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/21, roughly 266 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/24, about 123 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lake Placid in Zone 4b (-25 to -20°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 Lake Placid 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
05/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lake Placid compares
Lake Placid's growing season runs about 123 days, ranking 38,898 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 1,945 of 1,951.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Lake Placid's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Lake Placid can differ from the 12997 normal.