USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 15089 — West Newton, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Donora 1 SW, PA (762 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In West Newton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, Donora 1 SW, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 177 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
- December 12
- Last snow
- March 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 21.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Newton
Half of springs at Donora 1 SW, PA see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, longer than at 56% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 116 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 6, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 11 and March 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Donora 1 SW, 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 15089 →Compare West Newton with another place →
Weather by month in West Newton
July is the warmest month at Donora 1 SW, PA, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 21°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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,212 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 71% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 35% of them (1,110) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 722. Precipitation totals 40.8 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in February (2.4"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 2.9 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Feb | 42 | 22 | 2.4 | 100% | 23 | 5 |
| Mar | 51 | 29 | 3.1 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
| Apr | 64 | 38 | 3.4 | 98% | 7 | 136 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 4.3 | 38% | <1 | 353 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 722 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 472 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 3.1 | 80% | 3 | 178 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 2.8 | 100% | 15 | 36 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 2.9 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Donora 1 SW, PA (762 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, Charleroi Lock 4, PA, 9 miles southwest of West Newton, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 13), a first frost 14 days later (November 5), a season 28 days longer.
When it snows in West Newton, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Newton usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around March 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Donora 1 SW, PA, 6.9 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 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 15089
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 15089 is 7 miles from Donora 1 SW, PA, which stands at 762 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 15012 (Belle Vernon). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 15089 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.