USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 15469 — Normalville, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Donegal 2 NW, PA (1,800 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Normalville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Donegal 2 NW, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 170 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 19
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Normalville
Half of springs at Donegal 2 NW, PA see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 18 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 143 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 11 days longer, to about May 11, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 7 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 8 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Donegal 2 NW, 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 15469 →Compare Normalville with another place →
Weather by month in Normalville
July is the warmest month at Donegal 2 NW, PA, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,688 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 34% of them (920) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 625.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 19 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Mar | 47 | 26 | 100% | 24 | 20 |
| Apr | 60 | 37 | 100% | 13 | 103 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 46% | 3 | 289 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 0% | <1 | 500 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 6% | <1 | 385 |
| Oct | 63 | 41 | 91% | 8 | 134 |
| Nov | 51 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 26 |
| Dec | 41 | 25 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Donegal 2 NW, PA (1,800 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, Hidden Valley, PA, 9 miles east of Normalville and 1,076 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (May 2), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Normalville, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Normalville usually arrives around November 19, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Donegal 2 NW, PA, 8.4 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 15469
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 15469 is 8 miles from Donegal 2 NW, PA, which stands at 1,800 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 15610 (Acme). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 15469 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.