Eau Claire, PA 16040 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Eau Claire, PA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/15, roughly 260 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/03, about 140 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Eau Claire in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 5 weeks of growing season left in Eau Claire before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/15 isn't a guarantee
05/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/30 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Eau Claire compares
About 140 days separate Eau Claire's last and first frost, putting it 37,156 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within PA, it ranks 2,027 of 2,088.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Eau Claire can differ from the 16040 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Eau Claire's frost date answer different questions.