USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 12983 — Saranac Lake, New York
Averages from Ray Brook, Ny US, the nearest reporting station, 3.8 miles away.
Plant tender crops after May 21, and expect the first autumn freeze around September 24. That leaves about 123 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- May 21
- First fall frost
- September 24
- Growing season
- 123 days
- Hardiness zone
- 4a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
-30 to -25°F annual low
Planting calendar for 12983
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 12 – March 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 23 – May 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 24 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after May 21 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Saranac Lake, New York are past their last freeze. Harvest before September 24, which leaves roughly 123 frost-free days.
ZIP 12983 sits in USDA hardiness zone 4a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between -30 to -25°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.