Yonkers, New York: planting zone & frost dates
Yonkers 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 27 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 6 | Oct 10 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 27 | Oct 19 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 20 | 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 DOBBS FERRY-ARDSLEY, NY (USC00302129), 4.6 mi (7.4 km) from the city center and 125 ft lower than the city center (-38 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 20 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Yonkers
Yonkers spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 8 ZIP codes): 7b (88%), 7a (12%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Yonkers
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 27, 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 2 – Mar 16 | May 4 – May 18 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | May 11 – May 25 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Apr 13 – May 4 | Mar 30 – May 11 | Aug 10 – Sep 7 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 4 – Jun 8 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 4 – Jun 1 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 30 – Apr 6 | May 4 – May 18 | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Cucumber | Mar 30 – Apr 6 | May 11 – May 18 | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 6 – May 11 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Onion | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | May 11 – May 25 | May 11 – Jun 1 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | Aug 24 – Sep 21 |
| Kale | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Aug 10 – Sep 7 |
| Broccoli | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – May 4 | — | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Aug 10 – Aug 24 |
| Eggplant | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | May 11 – May 25 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | — | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 23 – May 11 | Sep 7 – Oct 5 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Aug 10 – Aug 24 |
Nearby cities in New York
- New Rochelle — zone 7b, last frost Apr 5, first frost Nov 9
- 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
Yonkers gardening questions
When is the last frost in Yonkers, NY?
Plan around Apr 27. At NOAA's Dobbs Ferry-ardsley, NY station, 4.6 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 20, and after May 6 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 4. The 90% and 10% dates are 32 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Yonkers, NY?
Start seeds indoors Mar 2 – Mar 16 and set transplants outside May 4 – May 18, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 175 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 Yonkers?
About 189 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 168 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 210 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 10 and a 30% chance by Oct 19. That ranks 3rd longest of 7 New York cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Yonkers?
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 7. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Yonkers's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Yonkers 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 Yonkers in zone 7b?
No. Zone 7b covers about 88% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (12%), measured across the city's 8 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.