USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 17372 — York Springs, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Biglerville, PA (720 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In York Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Biglerville, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 194 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 11
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 27"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in York Springs
Half of springs at Biglerville, PA see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 4 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 27 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 115 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 15 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 19 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Biglerville, 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 17372 →Compare York Springs with another place →
Weather by month in York Springs
July is the warmest month at Biglerville, PA, averaging 86°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 22°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 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,368 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 34% of them (1,142) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 781. Precipitation totals 45.2 inches a year, most in September (5.2") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 22 | 3.5 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Feb | 41 | 23 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 3 |
| Mar | 50 | 30 | 3.6 | 100% | 20 | 26 |
| Apr | 62 | 41 | 3.9 | 91% | 5 | 133 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.4 | 16% | <1 | 363 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Aug | 84 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 489 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 3.9 | 65% | 3 | 186 |
| Nov | 53 | 35 | 3.2 | 100% | 13 | 37 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 3.4 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Biglerville, PA (720 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, York Airport, PA, 14 miles southeast of York Springs and 234 feet lower, has a last frost 12 days later (April 27), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 18), a season 20 days shorter.
When it snows in York Springs, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in York Springs usually arrives around December 11, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Biglerville, PA, 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 17372
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 17372 is 9 miles from Biglerville, PA, which stands at 720 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 17307 (Biglerville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 17372 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.