When to plant in Bear Rocks, PA
Planting dates worked out from Bear Rocks's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 28
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 12
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 5
1 year in 10 by Sep 22
Frost-free days
142
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Chalk Hill 2 Ene · 32.4 km away · station 604 m, town 606 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 27 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 24 |
| Peas | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 25 |
| Bush beans | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 10 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 20 |
| Beet | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Jun 3 |
| Potato | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 30 |
| Kale | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 27 |
| Broccoli | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 13 |
| Cucumber | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 17 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 12 |
| Winter squash | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Aug 16 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jul 13 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 21 – Oct 19 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 8 |
| Basil | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 24 |
Bear Rocks's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1978 | May 11 |
| 1979 | May 17 |
| 1980 | Jun 12 |
| 1981 | May 20 |
| 1982 | May 10 |
| 1983 | May 28 |
| 1984 | May 17 |
| 1985 | May 4 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | May 8 |
| 1988 | May 26 |
| 1989 | May 4 |
| 1990 | May 12 |
| 1991 | Apr 25 |
| 1992 | May 28 |
| 1993 | May 20 |
| 1994 | May 28 |
| 1995 | May 8 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 26 |
| 2000 | Apr 28 |
| 2001 | May 31 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 27 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | May 23 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 5 |
| 2009 | May 20 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 28 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 140 |
| 1979 | 146 |
| 1980 | 106 |
| 1981 | 131 |
| 1982 | 110 |
| 1983 | 117 |
| 1984 | 122 |
| 1985 | 155 |
| 1986 | 155 |
| 1987 | 153 |
| 1988 | 134 |
| 1989 | 157 |
| 1990 | 161 |
| 1991 | 148 |
| 1992 | 124 |
| 1993 | 133 |
| 1994 | 128 |
| 1995 | 137 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 131 |
| 1998 | 176 |
| 1999 | 148 |
| 2000 | 162 |
| 2001 | 128 |
| 2002 | 152 |
| 2003 | 158 |
| 2004 | 153 |
| 2005 | 172 |
| 2006 | 142 |
| 2007 | 167 |
| 2008 | 154 |
| 2009 | 138 |
| 2010 | 149 |
| 2011 | 132 |
| 2012 | 136 |
| 2013 | 118 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 16.2 °C |
| 1979 | 15.7 °C |
| 1980 | 16.5 °C |
| 1981 | 16.3 °C |
| 1982 | 15.6 °C |
| 1983 | 15.2 °C |
| 1984 | 15.5 °C |
| 1985 | 16.3 °C |
| 1986 | 16.7 °C |
| 1987 | 16.7 °C |
| 1988 | 16.6 °C |
| 1989 | 16.0 °C |
| 1990 | 15.4 °C |
| 1991 | 17.1 °C |
| 1992 | 15.3 °C |
| 1993 | 16.5 °C |
| 1994 | 16.3 °C |
| 1995 | 16.8 °C |
| 1996 | 16.5 °C |
| 1997 | 15.4 °C |
| 1998 | 17.6 °C |
| 1999 | 16.8 °C |
| 2000 | 16.1 °C |
| 2001 | 16.4 °C |
| 2002 | 17.5 °C |
| 2003 | 16.2 °C |
| 2004 | 16.7 °C |
| 2005 | 16.9 °C |
| 2006 | 16.5 °C |
| 2007 | 16.6 °C |
| 2008 | 16.3 °C |
| 2009 | 14.9 °C |
| 2010 | 16.2 °C |
| 2011 | 16.3 °C |
| 2012 | 15.8 °C |
| 2013 | 15.6 °C |
| 2014 | 15.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1978, Bear Rocks's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Chalk Hill 2 Ene (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.