Buffalo, New York: planting zone & frost dates
Buffalo is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6b, where the average coldest winter night reaches -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 30 and the first fall frost around Oct 19.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 9 | Oct 10 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 30 | Oct 19 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 24 | Oct 26 |
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 BUFFALO, NY (USW00014733), 7.3 mi (11.8 km) from the city center and 82 ft higher than the city center (+25 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 29 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Buffalo
All 18 ZIP codes covering Buffalo are in zone 6b.
Vegetable planting calendar for Buffalo
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 19). 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 5 – Mar 19 | May 7 – May 21 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | May 14 – May 28 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 16 – May 7 | Apr 2 – May 14 | Aug 10 – Sep 7 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 7 – Jun 11 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 7 – Jun 4 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 21 | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Cucumber | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 14 – May 21 | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 9 – May 14 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Onion | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | May 14 – Jun 4 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Aug 24 – Sep 21 |
| Kale | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Aug 10 – Sep 7 |
| Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – May 7 | — | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | Aug 10 – Aug 24 |
| Eggplant | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | May 14 – May 28 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | — | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 26 – May 14 | Sep 7 – Oct 5 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Aug 10 – Aug 24 |
Nearby cities in New York
- Rochester — zone 6b, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 18
- Syracuse — zone 6a, last frost May 5, first frost Oct 11
- Albany — zone 6a, last frost May 2, first frost Oct 9
- Yonkers — zone 7b, last frost Apr 27, first frost Oct 19
- New York — zone 7b, last frost Apr 4, first frost Nov 13
- New Rochelle — zone 7b, last frost Apr 5, first frost Nov 9
More: all New York cities · other zone 6b cities: Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Boston, MA, Detroit, MI, Kansas City, MO, Cincinnati, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Toledo, OH
Buffalo gardening questions
When is the last frost in Buffalo, NY?
Plan around Apr 30. At NOAA's Buffalo, NY station, 7.3 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 24, and after May 9 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 13. The last frost is fairly predictable here: only 28 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in Buffalo, NY?
Start seeds indoors Mar 5 – Mar 19 and set transplants outside May 7 – May 21, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 172 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 Buffalo?
About 183 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 163 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 202 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 10 and a 30% chance by Oct 19. That ranks 4th longest of 7 New York cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Buffalo?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 19): transplant broccoli Jul 27 – Aug 10; sow kale Aug 10 – Sep 7; sow lettuce Aug 10 – Sep 7; sow radishes Sep 7 – Oct 5. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 6. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Buffalo's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Buffalo was zone 6a on the 2012 map and is zone 6b 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 Buffalo compare with Rochester, NY?
Both are in zone 6b. The typical last spring frost in Buffalo (Apr 30) comes about the same time as in Rochester, NY (Apr 30), 66 miles away, and the first fall frost is Oct 19 versus Oct 18. The two cities use different NOAA stations.