USDA zone 4b in New York
USDA plant hardiness zone 4b covers 21 locations across New York (average annual extreme minimum −25 to −20 °F): Altona, NY, Caroga Lake, NY, Carthage, NY, Chestertown, NY, Cold Brook, NY, Constableville, NY, and 15 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 29 (Madrid) to May 27 (Wilmington), and growing seasons run 118–169 days (Wilmington to Wells) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every New York location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Carthage, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 4b−25 to −20 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 29–May 27avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 22–Oct 16avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 118–169days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altona | — | Ellenburg Depot | May 10 | Oct 2 | 144 |
| Caroga Lake | — | Gloversville 7nw (peck Lake) | May 11 | Oct 3 | 143 |
| Carthage * | Altmar, Lowville, Natural Bridge, Turin, Lyons Falls, Otter Lake, +1 more | Lowville | May 8 | Oct 1 | 145 |
| Chestertown | — | Whitehall | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 164 |
| Cold Brook | — | Trenton Falls | May 4 | Oct 13 | 161 |
| Constableville | — | Highmarket 2w | May 22 | Sep 26 | 125 |
| Copenhagen | Felts Mills, Lorraine, Rodman | Watertown | May 2 | Oct 13 | 163 |
| Hailesboro | Gouverneur, Natural Bridge, Edwards, Richville, Oxbow | Gouverneur 3 Nw | May 14 | Sep 26 | 134 |
| Hannawa Falls | Potsdam, Canton, DeKalb Junction, Madrid, Norwood, Colton, +3 more | Canton 4 Se | May 9 | Sep 30 | 142 |
| Long Lake | Schroon Lake, North Creek | Newcomb | May 21 | Sep 26 | 126 |
| Lyon Mountain | Altona, Redford | Dannemora | May 6 | Oct 11 | 157 |
| Madrid | — | Ogdensburg 4 Ne | Apr 29 | Oct 10 | 162 |
| Malone | Chateaugay, Burke, Brushton | Malone | May 6 | Oct 4 | 151 |
| Massena | Norfolk, Waddington, Brasher Falls | Massena Intl Ap | May 8 | Oct 1 | 144 |
| Parishville | Winthrop, Brasher Falls, St. Regis Falls, Brushton | Lawrenceville 3 Sw | May 10 | Oct 5 | 148 |
| Speculator | Wells, North Creek | Indian Lake 2sw | May 23 | Sep 27 | 125 |
| Speculator | Otter Lake | Old Forge | May 18 | Sep 30 | 134 |
| Ticonderoga | Schroon Lake, Port Henry, Witherbee | Cornwall | May 5 | Oct 3 | 151 |
| Wells | Warrensburg | Conklingville Dam | Apr 30 | Oct 16 | 169 |
| White Lake | Constableville, Port Leyden | Boonville 4 Ssw | May 10 | Oct 4 | 145 |
| Wilmington | Elizabethtown, Witherbee | Lake Placid 2 S | May 27 | Sep 22 | 118 |
* Carthage is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Carthage, representative)
Computed from Carthage's average frost dates — the median-season location in this New Yorkzone 4b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 15 – May 22 | Jul 14 – Aug 3 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 22 – May 29 | Jul 21 – Aug 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 22 | Jul 4 – Jul 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 15 – May 22 | Jun 29 – Jul 14 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 15 – May 22 | Jul 4 – Jul 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 7 – Aug 6 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 15 – May 22 | Jun 14 – Jun 29 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 25 – Jun 9 | Jul 19 – Aug 3 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 21 – Jun 5 | Jul 9 – Jul 24 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 6 – May 16 | Jul 29 – Aug 8 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 16 – Jul 6 | Jun 29 – Jul 19 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Jun 4 – Jun 24 | Jul 4 – Jul 24 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Carthage's own 145-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Carthage)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00304912. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 22 | Jun 4 | Sep 21 | Oct 3 | 121 |
| 32°F (freeze) | May 8 | May 23 | Oct 1 | Oct 17 | 145 |
| 28°F | Apr 28 | May 11 | Oct 15 | Nov 1 | 170 |
| 24°F | Apr 15 | Apr 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 14 | 197 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 21 locations is 2,073; Carthage's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 2,047 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 3,882 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 4b in New York
Zone 4b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −25 to −20 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. New York spans 8 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all New York locations for the full range, including zones4a, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b.
Explore zone 4b in other states at zone 4b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 4b mean in New York?
- Zone 4b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −25 to −20 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 21 locations in New York fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in New York's zone 4b is the growing season longest?
- Wells runs the longest season on this page at about 169 days; Wilmington is shortest at about 118 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in New York's zone 4b?
- Using Carthage's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Mar 13 – Mar 27, then transplant outside about May 15 – May 22. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in New York's zone 4b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 21 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.