FrostDateCheck

Vernon, NY 13478 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Vernon, NY?

Zone 5b

Around 05/06 is the usual last spring frost, about 251 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 157 frost-free days later.

Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Vernon, not a forecast for this year.

What to do before the first frost

About 7 weeks of growing season left in Vernon before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.

Why 05/06 isn't a guarantee

05/06 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. 05/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Vernon compares

Vernon's growing season runs about 157 days, ranking 33,376 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 1,244 of 1,951.

Learn more

local microclimates covers what one yard in Vernon can differ from the 13478 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Vernon's frost date answer different questions.