When to plant in Hillcrest, NY
Planting dates worked out from Hillcrest's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 49 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 13about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 221 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 61 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 25about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 79 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 191 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Yorktown Hts 1w · 25.5 km away · station 204 m, town 156 m. How we match towns to stations
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 20 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 25 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 30 – Apr 27 | May 24 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 10 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 7 – May 19 | Jun 6 |
| Beet | — | Apr 7 – May 19 | May 27 |
| Potato | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jun 16 |
| Kale | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 19 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | May 29 |
| Cucumber | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 15 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 10 |
| Winter squash | Mar 29 – Apr 5 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jul 15 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 11 – Nov 8 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 30 – Apr 27 | May 7 |
| Basil | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 22 |
Hillcrest's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1966 | May 10 |
| 1967 | May 7 |
| 1968 | Apr 7 |
| 1969 | Apr 20 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1971 | Apr 25 |
| 1972 | Apr 28 |
| 1973 | Apr 14 |
| 1974 | May 5 |
| 1975 | Apr 22 |
| 1976 | Apr 13 |
| 1977 | May 9 |
| 1978 | May 1 |
| 1979 | Apr 11 |
| 1980 | Apr 18 |
| 1981 | Apr 22 |
| 1982 | Apr 23 |
| 1983 | Apr 20 |
| 1984 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | Apr 11 |
| 1986 | Apr 24 |
| 1987 | Apr 2 |
| 1988 | Apr 20 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 12 |
| 1992 | Apr 16 |
| 1993 | Apr 6 |
| 1994 | Apr 9 |
| 1995 | Apr 17 |
| 1996 | Apr 15 |
| 1997 | Apr 19 |
| 1998 | Apr 5 |
| 1999 | Apr 23 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2002 | Apr 8 |
| 2003 | Apr 19 |
| 2004 | Apr 7 |
| 2005 | Apr 12 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 10 |
| 2008 | Apr 4 |
| 2009 | Apr 14 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Mar 30 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 27 |
| 2016 | Apr 18 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1966 | 172 |
| 1967 | 174 |
| 1968 | 206 |
| 1969 | 185 |
| 1970 | 162 |
| 1971 | 196 |
| 1972 | 164 |
| 1973 | 205 |
| 1974 | 150 |
| 1975 | 191 |
| 1976 | 187 |
| 1977 | 167 |
| 1978 | 160 |
| 1979 | 181 |
| 1980 | 187 |
| 1981 | 172 |
| 1982 | 182 |
| 1983 | 183 |
| 1984 | 166 |
| 1985 | 200 |
| 1986 | 169 |
| 1987 | 184 |
| 1988 | 171 |
| 1989 | 193 |
| 1990 | 190 |
| 1991 | 191 |
| 1992 | 167 |
| 1993 | 187 |
| 1994 | 215 |
| 1995 | 201 |
| 1996 | 172 |
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1998 | 212 |
| 1999 | 166 |
| 2000 | 166 |
| 2002 | 188 |
| 2003 | 186 |
| 2004 | 210 |
| 2005 | 219 |
| 2006 | 207 |
| 2007 | 211 |
| 2008 | 208 |
| 2009 | 187 |
| 2010 | 217 |
| 2011 | 210 |
| 2012 | 191 |
| 2013 | 196 |
| 2015 | 173 |
| 2016 | 179 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 17.6 °C |
| 1966 | 17.4 °C |
| 1967 | 17.2 °C |
| 1968 | 17.6 °C |
| 1969 | 17.8 °C |
| 1970 | 17.7 °C |
| 1971 | 17.2 °C |
| 1972 | 17.1 °C |
| 1973 | 17.8 °C |
| 1974 | 17.1 °C |
| 1975 | 17.0 °C |
| 1976 | 17.4 °C |
| 1977 | 17.9 °C |
| 1978 | 16.9 °C |
| 1979 | 17.4 °C |
| 1980 | 18.4 °C |
| 1981 | 17.9 °C |
| 1982 | 16.9 °C |
| 1983 | 17.9 °C |
| 1984 | 17.4 °C |
| 1985 | 17.7 °C |
| 1986 | 17.3 °C |
| 1987 | 17.6 °C |
| 1988 | 17.7 °C |
| 1989 | 17.3 °C |
| 1990 | 17.1 °C |
| 1991 | 18.7 °C |
| 1992 | 16.5 °C |
| 1993 | 18.0 °C |
| 1994 | 17.8 °C |
| 1995 | 17.7 °C |
| 1996 | 17.1 °C |
| 1997 | 17.3 °C |
| 1998 | 18.6 °C |
| 1999 | 19.0 °C |
| 2000 | 16.9 °C |
| 2001 | 18.2 °C |
| 2002 | 18.3 °C |
| 2003 | 17.3 °C |
| 2004 | 18.1 °C |
| 2005 | 18.9 °C |
| 2006 | 18.5 °C |
| 2007 | 18.7 °C |
| 2008 | 18.5 °C |
| 2009 | 17.6 °C |
| 2010 | 19.6 °C |
| 2011 | 19.0 °C |
| 2012 | 19.2 °C |
| 2013 | 18.4 °C |
| 2015 | 18.3 °C |
| 2016 | 18.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1966, Hillcrest's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Yorktown Hts 1w (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.