Clayton, NY 13656 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Clayton, NY, ZIP 13656
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 Clayton 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 Clayton 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.
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 Clayton compares
Clayton's growing season runs about 163 days, ranking 31,417 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 951 of 1,951.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Clayton can differ from the 13656 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Clayton's frost date answer different questions.