USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 17022 — Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA (312 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Elizabethtown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 206 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 5
- Last snow
- March 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 29.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elizabethtown
Half of springs at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 25. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 25 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 November 2 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 185 one year in ten. On average 101 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 14 days longer, to about April 23, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 26 and February 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 25 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 |
| 20°F | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 |
| 16°F | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, 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 17022 →Compare Elizabethtown with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Elizabethtown
In Elizabethtown, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 25 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 18, 176 days later; that gap is longer than at 94% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 28 days (March 28 to April 25) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 28 days (October 18 to November 15): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Landisville 2 NW, PA, 10 miles east, the same gap runs from May 13 to September 29, 37 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | over 90% | 63% |
| Apr 2 | 77% | 35% |
| Apr 950% date | 50% | under 10% |
| Apr 16 | 27% | under 10% |
| Apr 23 | 13% | under 10% |
| Apr 30 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Elizabethtown
July is the warmest month at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA, averaging 87°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,702 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 35% of them (1,281) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 846. Precipitation totals 44.2 inches a year, most in September (4.8") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 23 | 3.0 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Feb | 42 | 25 | 2.6 | 100% | 23 | 3 |
| Mar | 51 | 32 | 3.7 | 100% | 16 | 29 |
| Apr | 64 | 43 | 3.6 | 81% | 3 | 153 |
| May | 74 | 53 | 3.8 | 5% | 0 | 417 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 677 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Aug | 85 | 66 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Sep | 78 | 58 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 537 |
| Oct | 66 | 46 | 3.8 | 43% | 1 | 210 |
| Nov | 54 | 36 | 3.0 | 100% | 11 | 40 |
| Dec | 43 | 28 | 3.4 | 100% | 22 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA (312 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, Landisville 2 NW, PA, 10 miles east of Elizabethtown, has a last frost 21 days later (April 30), a first frost 23 days earlier (October 10), a season 44 days shorter.
When it snows in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elizabethtown usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA, 8.5 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 20 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 17022
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 17022 is 9 miles from Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA, which stands at 312 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 17022 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.