USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 19543 — Morgantown, Pennsylvania
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hopewell Morgantown, PA (550 ft), under a mile southeast.
Updated
In Morgantown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, Hopewell Morgantown, PA).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 193 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 28
- Last snow
- March 20
- Winters with snow
- 92%
- Snow per year
- 23.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Morgantown
Half of springs at Hopewell Morgantown, PA see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after April 30 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 27 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 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 17, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 121 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 14 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 20 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 4 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 23 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hopewell Morgantown, 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 19543 →Compare Morgantown with another place →
Weather by month in Morgantown
July is the warmest month at Hopewell Morgantown, PA, averaging 85°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,152 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 176 Pennsylvania stations. 33% of them (1,048) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 745.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 41 | 22 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| Mar | 49 | 31 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 95% | 7 | 115 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 8% | 1 | 337 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 574 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 745 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Sep | 76 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 463 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 63% | 4 | 173 |
| Nov | 53 | 34 | 100% | 16 | 38 |
| Dec | 42 | 27 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hopewell Morgantown, PA (550 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, Glenmoore, PA, 9 miles southeast of Morgantown, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 5 days later (November 1), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Morgantown, Pennsylvania
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Morgantown usually arrives around December 28, and the last of the season around March 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Honey Brook 2 SSE, PA, 5.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 92% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 19543
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 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 19543 is under a mile from Hopewell Morgantown, PA, which stands at 550 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 19508 (Birdsboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 19543 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.