Black River, NY 13616 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Black River, NY?
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
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.
The actual range around Black River's last frost
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 31,442 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NY, it ranks 967 of 1,951.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Black River can differ from the 13616 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Black River's frost date answer different questions.