USDA zone 5a in New York
USDA plant hardiness zone 5a covers 33 locations across New York (average annual extreme minimum −20 to −15 °F): Akwesasne, NY, Altmar, NY, Bridgewater, NY, Broadalbin, NY, Camden, NY, Chateaugay, NY, and 27 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 28 (Plattsburgh) to May 27 (Wilmington), and growing seasons run 118–174 days (Wilmington to Plattsburgh) — 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 Lake Delta, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 5a−20 to −15 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 28–May 27avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 22–Oct 20avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 118–174days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akwesasne | — | Massena Intl Ap | May 8 | Oct 1 | 144 |
| Altmar | Lacona | Pulaski | May 10 | Oct 14 | 156 |
| Bridgewater | — | Sherburne | May 13 | Oct 4 | 145 |
| Broadalbin | Corinth, Galway | Saratoga Springs 4 Sw | May 2 | Oct 7 | 158 |
| Camden | Altmar | Camden | May 12 | Oct 5 | 144 |
| Chateaugay | — | Ellenburg Depot | May 10 | Oct 2 | 144 |
| Clayville | — | Utica Oneida Co Ap | May 1 | Oct 13 | 164 |
| Davenport Center | Franklin | Emmons | May 17 | Oct 3 | 141 |
| Depauville | Adams Center, La Fargeville, Clayton, Adams, Chaumont, Pierrepont Manor, +3 more | Watertown Intl Ap | May 11 | Oct 1 | 140 |
| Dolgeville | Salisbury Center, Middleville, Newport | Little Falls City Rsch | May 5 | Oct 4 | 151 |
| Downsville | Delhi, Andes, Bloomville | Delhi 2 Se | May 19 | Oct 1 | 132 |
| Fort Covington | Chateaugay | Malone | May 6 | Oct 4 | 151 |
| Fort Drum | Watertown, Great Bend, Calcium, Evans Mills, Deferiet, Felts Mills | Watertown | May 2 | Oct 13 | 163 |
| Glens Falls North | Lake Luzerne, Glens Falls, South Glens Falls | Glens Falls Farm | May 17 | Sep 29 | 135 |
| Hobart | — | Lansing Manor | May 18 | Oct 2 | 137 |
| Keeseville | Elizabethtown, Au Sable Forks, Peru, Redford | Peru 2 Wsw | May 4 | Oct 4 | 152 |
| Lake Delta * | Camden, Boonville, Holland Patent, Remsen, Westernville | Boonville 4 Ssw | May 10 | Oct 4 | 145 |
| Lyon Mountain | Morrisonville, West Chazy, Altona, Mooers, Dannemora, Cadyville | Dannemora | May 6 | Oct 11 | 157 |
| Mayfield | Salisbury Center | Gloversville 7nw (peck Lake) | May 11 | Oct 3 | 143 |
| Ogdensburg | — | Ogdensburg 4 Ne | Apr 29 | Oct 10 | 162 |
| Plattsburgh | Milton, St. Albans, Parc, South Hero | S Hero | Apr 28 | Oct 20 | 174 |
| Poland | Prospect, Barneveld | Trenton Falls | May 4 | Oct 13 | 161 |
| Pottersville | — | Indian Lake 2sw | May 23 | Sep 27 | 125 |
| Redwood | Theresa, Philadelphia, Heuvelton, Alexandria Bay, Hammond, Plessis | Gouverneur 3 Nw | May 14 | Sep 26 | 134 |
| Rouses Point | Chazy, Champlain, Alburgh | Chazy | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 164 |
| Schroon Lake | — | Newcomb | May 21 | Sep 26 | 126 |
| St. Johnsville | — | Cherry Valley 2 Nne | May 6 | Oct 6 | 152 |
| Walton | Unadilla | Walton 2 | May 21 | Oct 1 | 132 |
| Warrensburg | Hadley, Corinth, Northville, Mayfield | Conklingville Dam | Apr 30 | Oct 16 | 169 |
| Warrensburg | Dorset, Hudson Falls, Fort Edward, Lake George, Argyle, Fort Ann | Glens Falls Ap | May 9 | Sep 30 | 143 |
| Whitehall | Benson, Chestertown, Pawlet, Pottersville, Castleton Four Corners, Granville, +6 more | Whitehall | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 164 |
| Willsboro | — | Willsboro 1 N | May 2 | Oct 14 | 165 |
| Wilmington | — | Lake Placid 2 S | May 27 | Sep 22 | 118 |
* Lake Delta 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 (Lake Delta, representative)
Computed from Lake Delta's average frost dates — the median-season location in this New Yorkzone 5a 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 15 – Mar 29 | May 17 – May 24 | Jul 16 – Aug 5 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | May 24 – May 31 | Jul 23 – Aug 22 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 24 | Jul 6 – Jul 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 17 – May 24 | Jul 1 – Jul 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 17 – May 24 | Jul 6 – Jul 16 | Aug 5 – Aug 15 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 9 – Aug 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 17 – May 24 | Jun 16 – Jul 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | May 27 – Jun 11 | Jul 22 – Aug 6 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 23 – Jun 7 | Jul 12 – Jul 27 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 8 – May 18 | Aug 1 – Aug 11 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | Jun 18 – Jul 8 | Jul 2 – Jul 22 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 6 – Jun 26 | Jul 7 – Jul 27 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Lake Delta'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 (Lake Delta)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00300785. 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 24 | Jun 8 | Sep 25 | Oct 6 | 123 |
| 32°F (freeze) | May 10 | May 28 | Oct 4 | Oct 18 | 145 |
| 28°F | Apr 30 | May 16 | Oct 15 | Oct 31 | 167 |
| 24°F | Apr 20 | May 4 | Oct 28 | Nov 10 | 187 |
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 33 locations is 2,207; Lake Delta's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 1,759 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 3,505 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 5a in New York
Zone 5a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −20 to −15 °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, 4b, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b.
Explore zone 5a in other states at zone 5a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 5a mean in New York?
- Zone 5a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −20 to −15 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 33 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 5a is the growing season longest?
- Plattsburgh runs the longest season on this page at about 174 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 5a?
- Using Lake Delta's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Mar 15 – Mar 29, then transplant outside about May 17 – May 24. 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 5a 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 33 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.