USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 15026 — Clinton, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Moon Twp, PA (1,172 ft), 8 miles east.
Updated
In Clinton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Moon Twp, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 172 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 15
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 44.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Clinton
Half of springs at Moon Twp, PA see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 124 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 9 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Moon Twp, PA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 15026 →Compare Clinton with another place →
Weather by month in Clinton
July is the warmest month at Moon Twp, PA, averaging 83°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,032 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 35% of them (1,056) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 700.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 19 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Mar | 49 | 28 | 100% | 22 | 33 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 | 99% | 8 | 113 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 40% | <1 | 343 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 560 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 700 |
| Aug | 82 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 659 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 2% | 0 | 434 |
| Oct | 63 | 41 | 82% | 3 | 148 |
| Nov | 51 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
| Dec | 40 | 26 | 100% | 23 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Moon Twp, PA (1,172 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Pittsburgh International Airport, PA, 8 miles east of Clinton, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 23), a first frost 5 days later (October 23), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Clinton, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Clinton usually arrives around November 15, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pittsburgh International Airport, PA, 7.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 15026
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 15026 is 8 miles from Moon Twp, PA, which stands at 1,172 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 15026 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Pennsylvania →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.