Ford Cliff, PA 16226 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ford Cliff, PA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/16, roughly 231 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/02, about 199 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Ford Cliff 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 9 weeks of growing season left in Ford Cliff before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/31 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ford Cliff compares
About 199 days separate Ford Cliff's last and first frost, putting it 18,205 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within PA, it ranks 324 of 2,088.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Ford Cliff can differ from the 16226 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Ford Cliff's frost date answer different questions.