USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 18222 — Drums, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Francis E Walter Dam, PA (1,509 ft), 15 miles northeast.
Updated
In Drums, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 153 days (NOAA, Francis E Walter Dam, PA).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 153 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 Drums
Half of springs at Francis E Walter Dam, PA see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 23 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 October 6 in half of years, as early as September 22 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 153 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 174 days one year in ten and falls short of 131 one year in ten. On average 163 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 13 days longer, to about May 20, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 8 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 2 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Francis E Walter Dam, 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 18222 →Compare Drums with another place →
Weather by month in Drums
July is the warmest month at Francis E Walter Dam, PA, averaging 79°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 16°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,209 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 32% of them (714) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 567.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 16 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 43 | 24 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 100% | 16 | 59 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 66% | 4 | 223 |
| Jun | 74 | 54 | 1% | <1 | 423 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Aug | 77 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 521 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 28% | 1 | 305 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 96% | 11 | 87 |
| Nov | 47 | 30 | 100% | 22 | 12 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Francis E Walter Dam, PA (1,509 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, Mahanoy City 2 N, PA, 16 miles southwest of Drums and 201 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 16 days later (October 22), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Drums, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Drums 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, 1.1 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 18222
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 18222 is 15 miles from Francis E Walter Dam, PA, which stands at 1,509 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 18707 (Mountain Top). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 18222 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.