USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 19390 — West Grove, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Avondale 2 N, PA (400 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In West Grove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 189 days (NOAA, Avondale 2 N, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 189 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 10
- Last snow
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 31.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Grove
Half of springs at Avondale 2 N, PA see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 28 20%, and after May 3 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 one year in ten. On average 109 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 April 30, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 17 and March 1.
| 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 10 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Avondale 2 N, 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 19390 →Compare West Grove with another place →
Weather by month in West Grove
July is the warmest month at Avondale 2 N, PA, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 90% of years and May still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,143 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 34% of them (1,068) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 733. Precipitation totals 47.1 inches a year, most in September (4.5") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 23 | 3.6 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 41 | 24 | 3.1 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
| Mar | 50 | 31 | 4.4 | 100% | 17 | 26 |
| Apr | 62 | 40 | 3.8 | 90% | 5 | 117 |
| May | 71 | 50 | 3.6 | 13% | <1 | 338 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Sep | 75 | 55 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 458 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 4.0 | 69% | 2 | 173 |
| Nov | 53 | 34 | 3.2 | 100% | 13 | 32 |
| Dec | 43 | 28 | 4.0 | 100% | 22 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Avondale 2 N, PA (400 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, Octoraro Lake, PA, 11 miles west of West Grove, has a last frost 7 days later (April 26), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 22), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in West Grove, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Grove usually arrives around December 10, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Coatesville 2 W, PA, 11.4 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 14 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 19390
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 8 – February 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 19390 is 4 miles from Avondale 2 N, PA, which stands at 400 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 19348 (Kennett Square). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 19390 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.