Allentown, Pennsylvania frost dates
Frost risk by date
| Chance of frost | Spring: frost after | Fall: frost before |
|---|---|---|
| 90% | April 6 | November 6 |
| 70% | April 14 | October 31 |
| 50% | April 20 | October 24 |
| 30% | April 26 | October 17 |
| 10% | May 6 | October 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.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Plant out |
|---|---|---|
| Beans | Mar 30 | Apr 27 (usually sown directly in the garden) |
| Broccoli | Feb 9 | Mar 23 |
| Brussels sprouts | Feb 9 | Mar 23 |
| Cabbage | Feb 2 | Mar 16 |
| Cauliflower | Feb 23 | Apr 6 |
| Sweet corn | Mar 23 | Apr 20 (usually sown directly in the garden) |
| Cucumbers | Apr 6 | Apr 27 |
| Kale | Feb 2 | Mar 16 |
| Leeks | Jan 5 | Mar 16 |
| Lettuce | Mar 2 | Apr 6 |
| Melons | Apr 13 | May 4 |
| Onions | Dec 29 | Mar 9 (from seed; sets and transplants go out at the same time) |
| Peas | Feb 23 | Mar 23 (usually sown directly in the garden) |
| Peppers | Mar 9 | May 4 |
| Squash | Apr 13 | May 4 |
| Tomatoes | Feb 23 | Apr 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
| City | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA | Apr 2 | Nov 10 | ~89 km |
| Newark, NJ | Apr 2 | Nov 10 | ~108 km |
| Harrisburg, PA | Apr 9 | Nov 2 | ~122 km |
| New York, NY | Apr 2 | Nov 14 | ~142 km |
| Baltimore, MD | Apr 10 | Oct 31 | ~195 km |
| Washington, DC | Mar 24 | Nov 18 | ~241 km |