Philadelphia, PA 19187 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Philadelphia, PA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/15, roughly 230 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/31, about 199 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Philadelphia in Zone 7b (5 to 10°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 Philadelphia before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/15 isn't a guarantee
04/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Philadelphia compares
About 199 days separate Philadelphia's last and first frost, putting it 17,959 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within PA, it ranks 272 of 2,088.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Philadelphia can differ from the 19187 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Philadelphia's frost date answer different questions.