New York, New York: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “New York” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (New York), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 10007, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station New York Cntrl Pk Twr, NY (USW00094728), 5 mi (8 km) from the ZCTA 10007 centroid, elevation 130 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeMarch 301-in-10 after Apr 9

First fall freezeNovember 201-in-10 before Nov 6

Frost-free season≈ 236 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Mar 19 – Dec 1kills even hardy greens

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 9

The New York year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant April 6 – April 20
Peas: plant February 16 – March 2
Garlic: plant cloves November 27 – December 4

All 79 crops in New York

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

Philadelphia, PA · Hartford, CT · Providence, RI · Baltimore, MD · Boston, MA