USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 19312 — Berwyn, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Phoenixville 1 E, PA (85 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Berwyn, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 18 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, Phoenixville 1 E, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 18
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 192 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 11
- Last snow
- March 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Berwyn
Half of springs at Phoenixville 1 E, PA see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 4 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 27 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 192 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 168 one year in ten. On average 117 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 April 30, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 18 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Phoenixville 1 E, 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 19312 →Compare Berwyn with another place →
Weather by month in Berwyn
July is the warmest month at Phoenixville 1 E, PA, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 23°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 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,668 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 34% of them (1,262) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 834. Precipitation totals 45.3 inches a year, most in July (4.6") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 23 | 3.2 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 44 | 24 | 2.9 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Mar | 53 | 31 | 3.7 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
| Apr | 65 | 41 | 3.5 | 93% | 6 | 154 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 3.3 | 16% | <1 | 407 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 530 |
| Oct | 67 | 44 | 3.9 | 63% | 3 | 209 |
| Nov | 56 | 34 | 3.4 | 100% | 15 | 45 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 4.1 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Phoenixville 1 E, PA (85 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, Norristown, PA, 8 miles northeast of Berwyn, has a last frost 10 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 4 days later (October 31), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Berwyn, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Berwyn usually arrives around December 11, and the last of the season around March 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Norristown, PA, 7.8 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 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 19312
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 7 – February 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 19312 is 6 miles from Phoenixville 1 E, PA, which stands at 85 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 19460 (Phoenixville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 19312 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.