USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 18853 — Wyalusing, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Towanda 1 S, PA (760 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Wyalusing, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 165 days (NOAA, Towanda 1 S, PA).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 165 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
- November 18
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 37.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wyalusing
Half of springs at Towanda 1 S, PA see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 16 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 165 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 185 days one year in ten and falls short of 145 one year in ten. On average 143 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 13, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Towanda 1 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 18853 →Compare Wyalusing with another place →
Weather by month in Wyalusing
July is the warmest month at Towanda 1 S, PA, averaging 84°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°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 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,695 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 67% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 33% of them (882) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 666. Precipitation totals 38.7 inches a year, most in July (4.0") and least in February (1.9"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 17 | 2.4 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 38 | 18 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 25 | 3.1 | 100% | 24 | 11 |
| Apr | 60 | 35 | 3.5 | 100% | 13 | 74 |
| May | 71 | 46 | 3.4 | 53% | 2 | 278 |
| Jun | 79 | 55 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 516 |
| Jul | 84 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Aug | 82 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 3.8 | 6% | <1 | 387 |
| Oct | 63 | 40 | 3.7 | 88% | 7 | 124 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 2.6 | 100% | 18 | 20 |
| Dec | 40 | 24 | 2.7 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Towanda 1 S, PA (760 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, Dushore, PA, 15 miles southwest of Wyalusing and 770 feet higher, has a last frost 12 days later (May 14), a first frost 13 days earlier (October 2), a season 22 days shorter.
When it snows in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wyalusing usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Towanda 1 S, PA, 9.4 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 31 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 18853
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 18853 is 9 miles from Towanda 1 S, PA, which stands at 760 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 18848 (Towanda). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 18853 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.