USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 15552 — Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA (2,000 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In Meyersdale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 146 days (NOAA, Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA).
- Last spring frost
- May 12
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 146 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
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 45.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Meyersdale
Half of springs at Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 28 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 51% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 5 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 19, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 146 days in a typical year, shorter than at 89% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 168 days one year in ten and falls short of 125 one year in ten. On average 156 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 12 days longer, to about May 24, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 24°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 14 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Meyersdale 2 SSW, 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 15552 →Compare Meyersdale with another place →
Weather by month in Meyersdale
July is the warmest month at Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA, averaging 80°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,195 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 90% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 32% of them (703) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 555. Precipitation totals 41.8 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 17 | 3.0 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 38 | 17 | 2.7 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Mar | 46 | 24 | 3.7 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
| Apr | 59 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 16 | 62 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 4.4 | 75% | 4 | 208 |
| Jun | 76 | 52 | 4.3 | 4% | <1 | 419 |
| Jul | 80 | 56 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 555 |
| Aug | 79 | 54 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 510 |
| Sep | 73 | 48 | 3.6 | 29% | <1 | 320 |
| Oct | 61 | 37 | 3.0 | 100% | 9 | 92 |
| Nov | 49 | 28 | 2.7 | 100% | 21 | 13 |
| Dec | 39 | 21 | 3.1 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA (2,000 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, Frostburg 2, MD, 11 miles south of Meyersdale and 170 feet higher, has a last frost 13 days earlier (April 29), a first frost 13 days later (October 18), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Meyersdale usually arrives around November 19, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA, 2.8 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 15552
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 3 – March 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 15552 is 3 miles from Meyersdale 2 SSW, PA, which stands at 2,000 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 15552 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.