USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 18837 — Rome, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Waverly, NY (845 ft), 13 miles northwest.
Updated
In Rome, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 157 days (NOAA, Waverly, NY).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 157 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 3
- Last snow
- March 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rome
Half of springs at Waverly, NY see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 22 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 10 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 157 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 177 days one year in ten and falls short of 135 one year in ten. On average 149 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 18, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Waverly, NY, 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 18837 →Compare Rome with another place →
Weather by month in Rome
July is the warmest month at Waverly, NY, averaging 83°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,609 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 33% of them (851) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 648. Precipitation totals 36.7 inches a year, most in June (4.3") and least in February (1.8"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 16 | 2.2 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 37 | 17 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 24 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 10 |
| Apr | 59 | 34 | 3.4 | 100% | 14 | 67 |
| May | 71 | 45 | 3.1 | 64% | 2 | 267 |
| Jun | 79 | 54 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 506 |
| Jul | 83 | 58 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 604 |
| Sep | 75 | 50 | 4.0 | 17% | 1 | 374 |
| Oct | 62 | 39 | 3.6 | 95% | 9 | 112 |
| Nov | 50 | 30 | 2.4 | 100% | 19 | 17 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 2.4 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Waverly, NY (845 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, Towanda 1 S, PA, 14 miles southwest of Rome, has a last frost 4 days earlier (May 2), a first frost 5 days later (October 15), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Rome, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Rome usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Waverly, NY, 13.1 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 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 18837
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 18837 is 13 miles from Waverly, NY, which stands at 845 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 18840 (Sayre). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 18837 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.