Craig,

The best that I've found for this area would be out of Cornell but it's still not really granular. The site also includes some textural definition but I think that the experts are being deliberately careful since the zones are pretty broad and there's a bunch more things that combine to determine whether a plant will make it in your backyard (orientation to the sun, frost pockets, any peculiar microclime, etc.). Hope it helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell zone link

Well, Craig, it looks to me on this map that we are both in zone 5b. Thanks so much, Makalu, I have been confused also.

Craig, I live in Beekman. I catagorize where I am as 5b/6a. We can have anywhere from zone 7 to zone 4(even 3 like last year)winters. You have to go buy what ever temperature you get, not what the zone map say the temperature we is our low. Last year there was a week where the thermometer never went above -20 degrees Fahrenheit and there was no snow cover that is like a zone 3 winter on the plants. Even with mulch I lost a lot of sensitive plants. I always heavily mulch anything that might be inquestion even if it says it is hardy to zone 6 or 5

Craig, orientation has a lot to do with it as does microclimate. The Cornell map (good find, makalu!) shows me (in Cold Spring, Putnam County) as 6a, but because I am on the low side of a slope, and I have stone and rock retaining walls facing SW, I consider my property as 6b. I have small pockets of 7, even. Sadly, last winter was a z3 winter for all of us. I couldn't believe the plants I lost.

In northern Dutchess I used to be zone 4 (average winter low of -25 with excursions to -30) but now consider myself zone 5 with an average low around -22. Last winter the low was -19 but with the layer of ice and then bare ground, winter losses were extensive. My garden has been down to -36 (some years back) and a few winters we didn't get below -15 but we are talking averages here.
And I try to take advantage of positions near the house walls for a few things that need it a bit warmer - even in a small garden there are microclimates which can be utilized.

We live on Barmore Road in Lagrangeville..

I consider us in Zone 6A, but I have to say that last year's winter was made it like a Zone 5. Lost a few plants last year...

W

Living in Northern Westchester, I guess I can be a 6A. I love meteorlogy and take a big interest in it...Last few winters our coldest temps have been in the -10F up to the 0 Range.

Great map, BTW

Wayne - My dad was a landscape designer and lived a few miles north of you (Verbank Road) which he considered a solid zone 5 - he indicated Poughkeepsie was a zone 6 with the river moderation. Of course, we all have micro-climates within our property!