USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 18202 — Hazle Township, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mahanoy City 2 N, PA (1,710 ft), 12 miles southwest.
Updated
In Hazle Township, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 18 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 175 days (NOAA, Mahanoy City 2 N, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 175 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 13
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hazle Township
Half of springs at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 18 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% 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 May 6, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 48% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 139 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 11, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mahanoy City 2 N, 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 18202 →Compare Hazle Township with another place →
Weather by month in Hazle Township
July is the warmest month at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, averaging 80°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 18°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 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,499 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 32% of them (806) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 632. Precipitation totals 53.7 inches a year, most in July (5.2") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 18 | 3.9 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 3.0 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 4.2 | 100% | 24 | 13 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 4.4 | 100% | 11 | 73 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 4.7 | 49% | 1 | 241 |
| Jun | 76 | 56 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 478 |
| Jul | 80 | 61 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Aug | 78 | 58 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 561 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 5.2 | 1% | 0 | 364 |
| Oct | 60 | 41 | 4.9 | 83% | 4 | 117 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 4.1 | 100% | 19 | 17 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 4.3 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mahanoy City 2 N, PA (1,710 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, Francis E Walter Dam, PA, 17 miles northeast of Hazle Township and 201 feet lower, has a last frost 7 days later (May 7), a first frost 16 days earlier (October 6), a season 22 days shorter.
When it snows in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hazle Township usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at West Hazleton 3.2 NNE, PA, 3.3 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 18202
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 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 18202 is 12 miles from Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, which stands at 1,710 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 13 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 18201 (Hazleton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 18202 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.