Rochester, NY 14616 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rochester, NY?
Around 04/24 is the usual last spring frost, about 239 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/25, about 181 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Rochester in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°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 8 weeks of growing season left in Rochester before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/24 isn't a guarantee
04/24 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rochester compares
Rochester's growing season runs about 181 days, ranking 24,420 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NY, it ranks 557 of 1,951.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Rochester's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Rochester's dates instead of trusting one.