New Rochelle, New York: planting zone & frost dates
New Rochelle is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 5 and the first fall frost around Nov 9.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 12 | Nov 2 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 5 | Nov 9 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 1 | Nov 16 |
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 BRONX, NY (USC00300961), 7.0 mi (11.3 km) from the city center and about the same elevation as the city center (+0 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 12 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across New Rochelle
New Rochelle spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 5 ZIP codes): 7b (93%), 7a (7%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for New Rochelle
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 5, first frost Nov 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 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Apr 19 – May 3 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Mar 22 – Apr 12 | Mar 8 – Apr 19 | Aug 31 – Sep 28 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 12 – May 17 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 12 – May 10 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | Apr 12 – May 3 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Cucumber | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | Apr 12 – May 3 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 15 – Apr 19 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Onion | Jan 11 – Jan 25 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Apr 19 – May 10 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 22 – Mar 22 | Sep 14 – Oct 12 |
| Kale | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | Aug 31 – Sep 28 |
| Broccoli | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 22 – Apr 12 | — | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
| Eggplant | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Apr 19 – May 3 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | — | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 1 – Apr 19 | Sep 28 – Oct 26 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 15 – Apr 26 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
Nearby cities in New York
- Yonkers — zone 7b, last frost Apr 27, first frost Oct 19
- New York — zone 7b, last frost Apr 4, first frost Nov 13
- Albany — zone 6a, last frost May 2, first frost Oct 9
- 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 7b cities: New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Oklahoma City, OK, Nashville, TN, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Albuquerque, NM, Tulsa, OK
New Rochelle gardening questions
When is the last frost in New Rochelle, NY?
Plan around Apr 5. At NOAA's Bronx, NY station, 7.0 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 1, and after Apr 12 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 23. The last frost is fairly predictable here: only 24 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in New Rochelle, NY?
Start seeds indoors Feb 8 – Feb 22 and set transplants outside Apr 12 – Apr 26, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 218 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 New Rochelle?
About 230 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 211 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 250 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 2 and a 30% chance by Nov 9. That ranks 2nd longest of 7 New York cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in New Rochelle?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 9): transplant broccoli Aug 17 – Aug 31; sow kale Aug 31 – Sep 28; sow lettuce Aug 31 – Sep 28; sow radishes Sep 28 – Oct 26. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 30. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did New Rochelle's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of New Rochelle was zone 7a on the 2012 map and is zone 7b 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.
Is all of New Rochelle in zone 7b?
No. Zone 7b covers about 93% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (7%), measured across the city's 5 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.