Black River, NY 13612 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Black River, NY?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/02, about 247 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 163 frost-free days later.
Zone 4b (-25 to -20°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 Black River, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Black River before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/02 isn't a guarantee
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
Black River's growing season runs about 163 days, ranking 31,441 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 966 of 1,951.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Black River's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Black River's dates instead of trusting one.