USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 19022 — Eddystone, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marcus Hook, PA (10 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Eddystone, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 16, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Marcus Hook, PA).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 16
- Growing season
- 230 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 19
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 23.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Eddystone
Half of springs at Marcus Hook, PA see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 10 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 176 Pennsylvania stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so the end of frost is fairly predictable.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 16 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, longer than at 99% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 253 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 65 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 10 days longer, to about April 9, and return around November 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between January 9 and February 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marcus Hook, 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 19022 →Compare Eddystone with another place →
Weather by month in Eddystone
July is the warmest month at Marcus Hook, PA, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 27°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,198 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 99% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 34% of them (1,429) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 913. Precipitation totals 41.8 inches a year, most in July (4.8") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 27 | 3.2 | 100% | 20 | 4 |
| Feb | 46 | 28 | 2.2 | 100% | 17 | 3 |
| Mar | 53 | 35 | 3.9 | 99% | 9 | 37 |
| Apr | 66 | 45 | 3.5 | 42% | <1 | 195 |
| May | 75 | 55 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 465 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 860 |
| Sep | 80 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 620 |
| Oct | 68 | 50 | 3.7 | 4% | 0 | 289 |
| Nov | 57 | 40 | 2.6 | 86% | 3 | 76 |
| Dec | 48 | 32 | 3.3 | 99% | 14 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marcus Hook, PA (10 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, Philadelphia International Airport, PA, 6 miles east of Eddystone, has a last frost 3 days later (April 2), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 10), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Eddystone, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Eddystone usually arrives around December 19, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Philadelphia International Airport, PA, 5.8 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 9 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 19022
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 16 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 19022 is 5 miles from Marcus Hook, PA, which stands at 10 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 19063 (Media). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 19022 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.