Black River, NY 13603 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Black River, NY, ZIP 13603
Around 05/02 is the usual last spring frost, about 247 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 163 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Black River 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
Zone 5a around Black River 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/20 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 Black River compares
About 163 days separate Black River's last and first frost, putting it 31,440 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NY, it ranks 965 of 1,951.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Black River can differ from the 13603 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Black River's frost date answer different questions.