USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 17737 — Hughesville, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Williamsport, PA (520 ft), 12 miles west.
Updated
In Hughesville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 180 days (NOAA, Williamsport, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 180 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
- November 22
- Last snow
- March 26
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 35.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hughesville
Half of springs at Williamsport, PA see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 50% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, longer than at 64% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 199 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 122 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 6, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 |
| 16°F | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Williamsport, 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 17737 →Compare Hughesville with another place →
Weather by month in Hughesville
July is the warmest month at Williamsport, PA, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 20°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 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,083 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 34% of them (1,051) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 736. Precipitation totals 43.7 inches a year, most in September (4.8") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 20 | 3.0 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 22 | 2.3 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 3.1 | 100% | 21 | 18 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 3.6 | 99% | 7 | 109 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 3.9 | 31% | 1 | 340 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 736 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 680 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 4.8 | 2% | 0 | 441 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 3.7 | 72% | 3 | 150 |
| Nov | 51 | 33 | 3.3 | 100% | 15 | 23 |
| Dec | 40 | 26 | 3.3 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Williamsport, PA (520 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, Williamsport 2, PA, 15 miles west of Hughesville, has a last frost 1 day later (April 25), a first frost 1 day later (October 24), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Hughesville, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hughesville usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around March 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Williamsport, PA, 12.1 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 17737
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 17737 is 12 miles from Williamsport, PA, which stands at 520 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 17756 (Muncy). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 17737 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.