Shelocta, PA 15727 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Shelocta, PA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/29, about 244 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/20, about 171 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Shelocta 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 8 weeks of growing season left in Shelocta 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 04/14 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/17 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Shelocta compares
Shelocta's growing season runs about 171 days, ranking 28,852 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within PA, it ranks 1,452 of 2,088.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Shelocta can differ from the 15727 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Shelocta's frost date answer different questions.