USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 17853 — Mt Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Selinsgrove 2 S, PA (420 ft), 10 miles northeast.
Updated
In Mt Pleasant Mills, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Selinsgrove 2 S, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 178 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
- December 8
- Last snow
- March 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 29"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mt Pleasant Mills
Half of springs at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 72% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 131 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 6, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Selinsgrove 2 S, 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 17853 →Compare Mt Pleasant Mills with another place →
Weather by month in Mt Pleasant Mills
July is the warmest month at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 19°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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,005 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 33% of them (999) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 732. Precipitation totals 43.3 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 19 | 3.1 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 2.3 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
| Apr | 61 | 37 | 3.7 | 97% | 9 | 93 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 3.8 | 32% | 1 | 313 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 576 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 4.4 | 1% | 0 | 435 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 3.9 | 82% | 4 | 144 |
| Nov | 51 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 17 | 22 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 3.2 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA (420 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, Selinsgrove Penn Vly Airport, PA, 11 miles northeast of Mt Pleasant Mills, has a last frost 2 days later (April 27), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 16), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Mt Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mt Pleasant Mills usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, 9.7 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 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 17853
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 17853 is 10 miles from Selinsgrove 2 S, PA, which stands at 420 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 17062 (Millerstown). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 17853 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.