Lancaster, PA 17602 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lancaster, PA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/18, roughly 233 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/25, about 186 frost-free days later.
Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Lancaster, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Lancaster before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/18 isn't a guarantee
04/18 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/04 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lancaster compares
Lancaster's growing season runs about 186 days, ranking 22,694 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within PA, it ranks 632 of 2,088.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Lancaster can differ from the 17602 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Lancaster's frost date answer different questions.