Albany, New York: planting zone & frost dates
Albany is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a, where the average coldest winter night reaches -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 2 and the first fall frost around Oct 9.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 11 | Oct 3 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 2 | Oct 9 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 27 | Oct 15 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station ALBANY AP, NY (USW00014735), 5.3 mi (8.6 km) from the city center and 89 ft higher than the city center (+27 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 29 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Albany
All 12 ZIP codes covering Albany are in zone 6a.
Vegetable planting calendar for Albany
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 2, first frost Oct 9). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 9 – May 23 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 16 – May 30 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Apr 4 – May 16 | Jul 31 – Aug 28 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 9 – Jun 13 | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 9 – Jun 6 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 9 – May 23 | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| Cucumber | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 16 – May 23 | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 11 – May 16 | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| Onion | Feb 7 – Feb 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | May 16 – Jun 6 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 21 – Apr 18 | Aug 14 – Sep 11 |
| Kale | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jul 31 – Aug 28 |
| Broccoli | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 9 | — | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 21 – Apr 11 | Jul 31 – Aug 14 |
| Eggplant | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 16 – May 30 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | — | Jul 17 – Jul 31 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 28 – May 16 | Aug 28 – Sep 25 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | Jul 31 – Aug 14 |
Nearby cities in New York
- Yonkers — zone 7b, last frost Apr 27, first frost Oct 19
- New Rochelle — zone 7b, last frost Apr 5, first frost Nov 9
- New York — zone 7b, last frost Apr 4, first frost Nov 13
- Syracuse — zone 6a, last frost May 5, first frost Oct 11
- Rochester — zone 6b, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 18
- Buffalo — zone 6b, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 19
More: all New York cities · other zone 6a cities: Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Milwaukee, WI, Colorado Springs, CO, Omaha, NE, Aurora, CO, Lincoln, NE, Fort Wayne, IN
Albany gardening questions
When is the last frost in Albany, NY?
Plan around May 2. At NOAA's Albany Airport, NY station, 5.3 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 27, and after May 11 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 16. The last frost is fairly predictable here: only 25 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in Albany, NY?
Start seeds indoors Mar 7 – Mar 21 and set transplants outside May 9 – May 23, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 160 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Albany?
About 169 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 150 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 191 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 3 and a 30% chance by Oct 9. That is the shortest of the 7 New York cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Albany?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 9): transplant broccoli Jul 17 – Jul 31; sow kale Jul 31 – Aug 28; sow lettuce Jul 31 – Aug 28; sow radishes Aug 28 – Sep 25. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 28. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Albany's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Albany was zone 5b on the 2012 map and is zone 6a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does Albany compare with Springfield, MA?
Both are in zone 6a. The typical last spring frost in Albany (May 2) comes about 7 days earlier than in Springfield, MA (May 9), 75 miles away, and the first fall frost is Oct 9 versus Oct 3. The two cities use different NOAA stations.