Bedford, PA 15522 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bedford, PA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/29, roughly 244 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 167 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bedford in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Bedford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/29 isn't a guarantee
04/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/18 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Bedford compares
Bedford's growing season runs about 167 days, ranking 29,994 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within PA, it ranks 1,516 of 2,088.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Bedford's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Bedford can differ from the 15522 normal.