Palmerton, PA 18071 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Palmerton, PA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/21, about 236 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/23, about 184 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Palmerton 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 Palmerton 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
04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Palmerton compares
Palmerton's growing season runs about 184 days, ranking 23,495 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within PA, it ranks 774 of 2,088.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Palmerton's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Palmerton's dates instead of trusting one.