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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 18324 — Bushkill, Pennsylvania

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newton, NJ (605 ft), 14 miles southeast.

Updated

In Bushkill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 176 days (NOAA, Newton, NJ).

Last spring frost
April 24

50% probability

First fall frost
October 16

50% probability

Growing season
176 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
November 26

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 27

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

24 of 24 observed

Snow per year
41.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Bushkill

Half of springs at Newton, NJ see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 9 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 176 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 196 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 142 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 5, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 8.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 22Apr 27Apr 30May 2May 5May 9May 13May 18May 23
32°FApr 11Apr 15Apr 19Apr 21Apr 24Apr 27Apr 30May 3May 9
28°FMar 30Apr 2Apr 4Apr 7Apr 10Apr 13Apr 16Apr 19Apr 25
24°FMar 15Mar 21Mar 25Mar 28Mar 31Apr 2Apr 4Apr 7Apr 13
20°FMar 2Mar 7Mar 12Mar 15Mar 18Mar 21Mar 24Mar 29Apr 1
16°FFeb 20Feb 26Mar 2Mar 5Mar 8Mar 10Mar 14Mar 18Mar 23
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19
32°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
24°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 27
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 21Dec 27

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newton, NJ, 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 18324 →Compare Bushkill with another place →

Weather by month in Bushkill

July is the warmest month at Newton, NJ, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 17°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 28% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,902 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 32% of them (942) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 713.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newton, NJ
MonthHigh °FLow °F32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan3717100%282
Feb4019100%260
Mar4828100%2314
Apr613898%1092
May704828%1294
Jun80570%0540
Jul84620%0713
Aug83600%0666
Sep75525%1411
Oct644186%9139
Nov5232100%2029
Dec4124100%253

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newton, NJ (605 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, E Stroudsburg, PA, 14 miles southwest of Bushkill, has a last frost 7 days later (May 1), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 12), a season 13 days shorter.

Frost dates for 18360 (Stroudsburg) →

When it snows in Bushkill, Pennsylvania

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bushkill usually arrives around November 26, and the last of the season around March 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at E Stroudsburg, PA, 14 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 28 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 18324

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Bushkill, Pennsylvania
WhenWhat to do
February 13 – February 27Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 27 – March 13Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 27 – April 10Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 24 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 24Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 2Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 16 onwardPlant 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 18324 is 14 miles from Newton, NJ, which stands at 605 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 07860 (Newton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 18324 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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in Pennsylvania