Frost dates for Washington, PA
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
April 24
typical year
Safe to plant
May 18
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 23
typical year
Growing season
181 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 27 – May 8 | Sep 11 – 25 |
| Onions | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 3 – 17 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 3 – 24 | Jul 31 – Aug 14 |
| Beets | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 14 – 28 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 14 – 28 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – 27 | Apr 10 – 24 | Aug 14 – 28 |
| Cabbage | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 14 – 28 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 11 – Oct 2 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 18 – Jun 1 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 16 – 30 | May 25 – Jun 8 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 18 – Jun 8 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 18 – Jun 15 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 18 – Jun 8 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 18 – Aug 14 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 18 – Jun 15 | – |
| Basil | Apr 13 – 27 | May 25 – Jun 1 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | May 18 | April 24 | April 8 |
| Fall frost before | October 8 | October 23 | November 5 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 11 (May 4 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 2.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 7 towns.
Washington, Canonsburg, East Washington, Houston, Claysville, Cokeburg, Green Hills
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station WASHINGTON 3 NE, PA US (USC00369318), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 16 zip codes, all within 11 miles:
15055, 15301, 15311, 15317, 15321, 15324, 15330, 15340, 15342, 15347, 15350, 15360, 15363, 15365, 15367, 15378
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.