Syracuse, New York: planting zone & frost dates
Syracuse 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 5 and the first fall frost around Oct 11.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 13 | Oct 2 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 5 | Oct 11 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 29 | Oct 19 |
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 SYRACUSE HANCOCK INTL AP, NY (USW00014771), 5.2 mi (8.4 km) from the city center and 10 ft higher than the city center (+3 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 30 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Syracuse
All 12 ZIP codes covering Syracuse are in zone 6a.
Vegetable planting calendar for Syracuse
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 5, first frost Oct 11). 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 10 – Mar 24 | May 12 – May 26 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 19 – Jun 2 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | Apr 21 – May 12 | Apr 7 – May 19 | Aug 2 – Aug 30 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 12 – Jun 16 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 12 – Jun 9 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 19 – May 26 | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 14 – May 19 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Onion | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 19 – Jun 2 | May 19 – Jun 9 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | Aug 16 – Sep 13 |
| Kale | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Aug 2 – Aug 30 |
| Broccoli | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 12 | — | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Eggplant | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 19 – Jun 2 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | — | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 31 – May 19 | Aug 30 – Sep 27 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
Nearby cities in New York
- Rochester — zone 6b, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 18
- Albany — zone 6a, last frost May 2, first frost Oct 9
- Buffalo — zone 6b, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 19
- 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
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
Syracuse gardening questions
When is the last frost in Syracuse, NY?
Plan around May 5. At NOAA's Syracuse Hancock Int'l Airport, NY station, 5.2 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 29, and after May 13 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 27 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in Syracuse, NY?
Start seeds indoors Mar 10 – Mar 24 and set transplants outside May 12 – May 26, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 159 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 Syracuse?
About 173 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 152 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 193 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 2 and a 30% chance by Oct 11. That ranks 6th longest of 7 New York cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Syracuse?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 11): transplant broccoli Jul 19 – Aug 2; sow kale Aug 2 – Aug 30; sow lettuce Aug 2 – Aug 30; sow radishes Aug 30 – Sep 27. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 2. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Syracuse's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Syracuse 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 Syracuse compare with Rochester, NY?
Syracuse is zone 6a and Rochester is zone 6b. The typical last spring frost in Syracuse (May 5) comes about 5 days later than in Rochester, NY (Apr 30), 75 miles away, and the first fall frost is Oct 11 versus Oct 18. The two cities use different NOAA stations.