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Allentown, Pennsylvania frost dates

Average last spring frost: April 20. Average first fall frost: October 24. That gives a growing season of about 184 days. For frost-tender plants, a safer planting date is May 6, after which a freeze happens in only 1 year in 10.
Last frost (50%)
Apr 20
1-in-10 risk after May 6
First frost (50%)
Oct 24
1-in-10 risk before Oct 8
Growing season
184 days
median frost-free days
Hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 5
median last 28°F in spring

Frost risk by date

Chance of frostSpring: frost afterFall: frost before
90%April 6November 6
70%April 14October 31
50%April 20October 24
30%April 26October 17
10%May 6October 8

Read the spring column like this: there is a 10% chance of a 32°F freeze after May 6. These are NOAA probabilities for the Allentown International Airport weather station (USW00014737, elevation 119 m), 1991–2020.

Allentown vegetable planting calendar

Dates count from the 50% last-frost date (April 20). For tomatoes, peppers and other frost-tender crops, waiting until the 10% date (May 6) is the cautious choice.

CropStart seeds indoorsPlant out
BeansMar 30Apr 27 (usually sown directly in the garden)
BroccoliFeb 9Mar 23
Brussels sproutsFeb 9Mar 23
CabbageFeb 2Mar 16
CauliflowerFeb 23Apr 6
Sweet cornMar 23Apr 20 (usually sown directly in the garden)
CucumbersApr 6Apr 27
KaleFeb 2Mar 16
LeeksJan 5Mar 16
LettuceMar 2Apr 6
MelonsApr 13May 4
OnionsDec 29Mar 9 (from seed; sets and transplants go out at the same time)
PeasFeb 23Mar 23 (usually sown directly in the garden)
PeppersMar 9May 4
SquashApr 13May 4
TomatoesFeb 23Apr 20

Offsets from Oregon State University Extension's seed-starting table. "Plant out" means transplant, or sow directly for crops usually grown from seed.

Fall frost and season extension

The first fall freeze usually arrives around October 24. There's a 1-in-10 chance it comes before October 8. Harvest tender crops such as basil, tomatoes, peppers and squash before then, or cover them on cold nights. Cool-season crops like kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts handle light frost, and often taste sweeter after it. A hard freeze (28°F) typically comes around November 4.

Nearby cities

CityLast frost (50%)First frost (50%)Distance
Philadelphia, PAApr 2Nov 10~89 km
Newark, NJApr 2Nov 10~108 km
Harrisburg, PAApr 9Nov 2~122 km
New York, NYApr 2Nov 14~142 km
Baltimore, MDApr 10Oct 31~195 km
Washington, DCMar 24Nov 18~241 km

More: all Pennsylvania frost dates