The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Plant Hardiness Zone Map is divided into 13 zones. Like all zones, Zone 4 has two subsets, 4a and 4b. These zone designations are guides for selecting plants that will survive the cold temperatures in these regions.
Zone 4 Hardiness Temperatures
Each zone is separated by a 10°F difference.
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This means that:
Zone 4 is 10°F colder than Zone 5.
Zone 5 is 10°F colder than Zone 6.
Zone 4 Subset Temperatures
The subzones are separated by 5°F. That means for Zone 4:
Zone 4: There is a minimum average temperature of -20°F to -30°F for Zone 4.
Zone 4a: There is a minimum average temperature of -25°F to -30°F for Zone 4.
Zone 4b: There is a minimum average temperature of -20°F to -25°F for Zone 4.
There are often lower temperatures in the zone and subsets due to unusual weather patterns and unexpected weather changes. These average temperatures should be taken as base for typical weather.
Frost Dates
Zone 4 is one of the shortest growing seasons of the USDA zones. The first and last frost dates can fluctuate a week or two, but as a general rule, frost dates are used for zones to plan garden planting.
Frost dates for Zone 4 last and first frosts for the year are typically:
Last frost date:May 15 to June 1 is usually the last frost range for Zone 4.
First frost date: September 15 to October 1 is usually the first frost range for Zone 4.
To stay current on frost warnings, download a frost date app. All you have to do is enter your zip code to access your regional timeframe.
2012 USDA Zone Boundary Changes
In 2012, gardeners saw a slight change in the zone boundary when the USDA updated the Plant Hardiness Zone Map. They discovered the new map showed a 5°F half-zone increase over the 1990 map. The National Gardening Association stated the change was most likely due to newer weather mapping technology combined with greater participation in weather stations providing data to the USDA.
Each state has more than one zone due to the differences in climate and topography. Some have multiple hardiness zones. For example, Montana has four different zones. There are 22 states that have Zone 4 regions.
Zone 4 States
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Iowa
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Oregon
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
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Zone 4 Gardening Tips
There are many vegetables, fruits and other trees and plants that can be successfully grown in Zone 4.
Nut trees that grow in Zone 4 include, English and Black walnuts, Northern pecans, Chinese and American chesynuts, King Nut hickory and a few others.
Fruit trees for Zone 4 include, pear, apple and cherry trees.
Only sour cherries thrive in Zones 4-6. Sweet cherries require temperatures found in zones 5-7.
If trees are designated 'hardy' then they are typically suitable for growing in Zone 4.
Fruit trees require a certain number of 'chill days' in order to produce fruit. Chill days are the amount of days needed at temperatures 32°F -45°F.
Zone 4 requires more chill days than zones 7 or 8.
Vegetables, such as beans, and cool weather crops, corn, cucumbers, squash, tomato, peppers and many others can grow in Zone 4 summers. Be sure to check plant tags and seed packets for zones.
Zone Designations Don't Include Everything
Zone designations are based strictly on temperatures, but there are many other factors to consider when planting a garden, trees or landscaping your yard. These include droughts, microclimates, soil fertility/conditions, rainfall and unusual weather changes/patterns. You can find this information in Sunset's The New Western Garden Book.
Gardening Guidelines for Zone 4
Zone 4 has a short growing season, but you can sow seeds indoors to counter this. Be sure you understand what plants grow best in your zone before investing time and money.
Zone 4 plants can withstand minimum chill temps from -30°F to -20°F. You can find this zone in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and northern areas of Eastern states such as New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
One of the West's most narrow, linear climates, Zone 4 runs from high in the coastal mountains of Northern California to southeastern Alaska, losing elevation as it moves north. It gets considerable influence from the Pacific Ocean, but also from the continental air mass, higher elevation, or both.
Think of it this way—4 is a lot nearer to 1 than to 12. Gardening in Zone 4 means dealing with cold winter weather—temperatures in Zone 4 drop to somewhere between -30 °F and -20 °F most winters. Zone 4 also has one of the shortest growing seasons in the United States.
Zone Four Agency restricted office areas. No public access. Visitor access only for visitors with a need-to-know and with close escort. Restricted access for authorised personnel who hold an appropriate security clearance.
What are the Hardiness Zones for New Jersey? Take a minute to view the New Jersey portion of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and find your county and location. The 4 New Jersey zones—6a, 6b, 7a, and 7b—range from coldest to less cold.
The state consists of two climate zones; the southernmost edges of the state have a humid subtropical climate, while the rest has a humid continental climate. New Jersey receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually.
Zone 3 is the range for aerobic endurance work and should put you at about 70-80% of your HRmax. Zone 4 is for anaerobic capacity, the limit of energy your body can produce using anaerobic means, and should be about 80-90% of your HRmax.
Pennsylvania planting zones are mostly in the 5b to 7a range, however there are small snippets of the state that are 5a and 7b, extending the range a bit. Finding out which Pennsylvania growing zones you are in is the first step in successfully planting a thriving garden.
Most of the New York City tri-state area falls under a zone 7, which means the coldest night of the year typically falls somewhere between 0°F and 10°F.
Most of central New York is considered in Hardiness Zone 4 or 5. The lower the number, the colder the environment. If we are in Zone 4, for example, avoid plants that are zoned to a higher number since they may not be able to survive the winter. The climate zone map is only a guide.
New York is in USDA plant hardiness zones 3-7. *Based on statistics there is a 10% chance that frost will occur before or after these dates. Watch your local weather for more accurate dates. New York on average has approximately 135 days between the last and first frost.
Growing zones are based on average annual minimum winter temperatures and separated out by a margin of 10 degrees Fahrenheit. USDA growing zones range from 1 to 13, but the continental US only ranges from 3 to 10. The official USDA zone map is now further divided into subcategories of a and b with a 5 degree margin.
USDA growing zones range from 1 to 13, but the continental US only ranges from 3 to 10. The official USDA zone map is now further divided into subcategories of a and b with a 5 degree margin.
The United States Department of Agriculture maps out geographical and climate zones according to each's annual minimum winter temperature. Each zone is 10 degrees warmer than the last; there's a five-degree change between 5b and 6a.
Zone 4 is located in Southwest Atlanta and covers the following neighborhoods: Adamsville, Ben Hill, Campcreek Market Place, Cascade, Greenbriar, Oakland City, Princeton Lakes, Venetian Hills and West End.
USDA Hardiness Zone 5 has winter temperatures between negative ten and negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit, enabling home growers to cultivate many varieties of cold-hardy herbs, fruit trees, flowers, and shrubs.
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