New Hartford, NY 13479 Frost Dates
When can you plant in New Hartford, NY?
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 New Hartford, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in New Hartford 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 New Hartford compares
New Hartford's growing season runs about 157 days, ranking 33,343 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 1,233 of 1,951.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and New Hartford's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around New Hartford's dates instead of trusting one.