USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 19522 — Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Reading 4 NNW, PA (360 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Fleetwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Reading 4 NNW, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 202 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 30
- Last snow
- March 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fleetwood
Half of springs at Reading 4 NNW, PA see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 29, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 26 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 31 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 181 one year in ten. On average 106 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 15 days longer, to about April 25, and return around October 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 24 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 |
| 16°F | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Reading 4 NNW, 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 19522 →Compare Fleetwood with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Fleetwood
In Fleetwood, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 26 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 14, 171 days later; that gap is longer than at 89% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 28 days (March 29 to April 26) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 30 days (October 14 to November 13): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Rodale Rsch Ctr, PA, 9 miles northeast, the same gap runs from May 13 to October 1, 30 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 27 | over 90% | 63% |
| Apr 3 | 77% | 33% |
| Apr 1050% date | 50% | 13% |
| Apr 17 | 30% | under 10% |
| Apr 24 | 14% | under 10% |
| May 1 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Fleetwood
July is the warmest month at Reading 4 NNW, PA, averaging 86°F by day and 66°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 May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,566 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 93% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 34% of them (1,217) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 803.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 23 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
| Feb | 42 | 25 | 100% | 23 | 2 |
| Mar | 50 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 28 |
| Apr | 63 | 42 | 81% | 4 | 146 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 5% | 0 | 394 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 803 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 756 |
| Sep | 78 | 57 | 0% | <1 | 523 |
| Oct | 66 | 46 | 52% | 3 | 208 |
| Nov | 54 | 36 | 99% | 12 | 51 |
| Dec | 44 | 29 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Reading 4 NNW, PA (360 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, Rodale Rsch Ctr, PA, 9 miles northeast of Fleetwood and 190 feet higher, has a last frost 16 days later (April 26), a first frost 17 days earlier (October 14), a season 31 days shorter.
When it snows in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fleetwood usually arrives around December 30, and the last of the season around March 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Reading 4 NNW, PA, 6 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 25 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 19522
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 19522 is 6 miles from Reading 4 NNW, PA, which stands at 360 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 19522 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.