U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00368905 · Pennsylvania

Frost Dates for Towanda, PA

NOAA weather station Towanda 1 S (USC00368905), Pennsylvania · elevation 760 ft (232 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season165 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Towanda, PASpring: a frost after April 20 in 9 years out of 10, after May 2 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 165 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 2First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Towanda, PASpring: a frost after April 20 in 9 years out of 10, after May 2 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 165 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 2First frost ~Oct 15
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 16October 1
50% (typical)May 2October 15
90% (likely)April 20November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
165 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 21
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 30

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 30 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 20 (5 days later). Frost-free season 169 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Towanda: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 16, 20% May 11, 30% May 8, 40% May 4, 50% May 2, 60% April 30, 70% April 27, 80% April 24, 90% April 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 24, 2022 May 10.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 16May 2Apr 202021: April 242022: May 10Fall at Towanda: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 4, 30% October 8, 40% October 12, 50% October 15, 60% October 19, 70% October 22, 80% October 26, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 18.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 15Nov 12021: November 42022: October 18
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 24November 4
2022May 10October 18
2023no datano data
2024no datano data
2025no datano data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

October 1 is the cautious fall date in Towanda for finishing the harvest, marking only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring the analogous cautious date is May 16, when there is a 10% chance of a light frost later, while planting before April 20 carries a 90% risk and is a gamble.

The 50% dates—May 2 for spring and October 15 for fall—represent the median point where a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not, and they are not frost dates. The hard-frost 50% dates are April 21 in spring and October 30 in fall; these indicate when a 28°F event is as likely as not.

A hard frost at 28°F can damage or kill tender plants more readily than a light frost at 32°F, so it raises the risk level considerably.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 16" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 1" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Towanda, PANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Canton, PA — 22 mi; 2 — Elmira, NY — 31 mi; 3 — Binghamton, NY — 39 mi; 4 — near Elkland, PA — 40 mi; 5 — Williamsport, PA — 43 mi.PANY25 mi · 40 km1. Canton, PA — 22 mi12. Elmira, NY — 31 mi23. Binghamton, NY — 39 mi34. near Elkland, PA — 40 mi45. Williamsport, PA — 43 mi5
  1. Canton, PA 22 mi (35 km)
  2. Elmira, NY 31 mi (51 km)
  3. Binghamton, NY 39 mi (63 km)
  4. near Elkland, PA 40 mi (65 km)
  5. Williamsport, PA 43 mi (69 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.7511, -76.4431.