When to plant in Elkland, PA
Planting dates worked out from Elkland's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 26
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 8
1 year in 10 by Sep 23
Frost-free days
149
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Cowanesque Dam · 12.7 km away · station 350 m, town 344 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 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 20 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 25 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 24 |
| Peas | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | Jun 4 |
| Bush beans | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 8 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 20 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 30 |
| Kale | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 30 |
| Broccoli | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 13 |
| Cucumber | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 15 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 10 |
| Winter squash | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Aug 14 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 18 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jul 13 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 24 – Oct 22 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | May 18 |
| Basil | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 22 |
Elkland'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 |
|---|---|
| 1994 | May 28 |
| 1995 | May 9 |
| 1996 | May 25 |
| 1997 | May 29 |
| 1998 | Apr 30 |
| 1999 | Apr 30 |
| 2000 | May 16 |
| 2001 | May 15 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 26 |
| 2004 | Apr 29 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 8 |
| 2007 | May 15 |
| 2008 | May 22 |
| 2009 | Jun 5 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | May 1 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 8 |
| 2015 | May 24 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 24 |
| 2018 | May 2 |
| 2019 | Apr 30 |
| 2020 | May 15 |
| 2021 | May 11 |
| 2022 | May 9 |
| 2023 | May 19 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
| 2025 | Apr 19 |
| 2026 | May 13 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 127 |
| 1996 | 131 |
| 1997 | 118 |
| 1999 | 159 |
| 2000 | 135 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2002 | 143 |
| 2003 | 159 |
| 2004 | 159 |
| 2005 | 166 |
| 2006 | 157 |
| 2007 | 124 |
| 2008 | 134 |
| 2009 | 128 |
| 2010 | 152 |
| 2011 | 154 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 161 |
| 2014 | 149 |
| 2015 | 145 |
| 2016 | 147 |
| 2017 | 175 |
| 2018 | 169 |
| 2019 | 171 |
| 2020 | 126 |
| 2021 | 176 |
| 2022 | 161 |
| 2023 | 164 |
| 2024 | 172 |
| 2025 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 15.1 °C |
| 1995 | 14.8 °C |
| 1996 | 15.7 °C |
| 1997 | 14.5 °C |
| 1998 | 16.7 °C |
| 1999 | 16.7 °C |
| 2000 | 15.9 °C |
| 2001 | 16.3 °C |
| 2002 | 16.6 °C |
| 2003 | 15.5 °C |
| 2004 | 16.2 °C |
| 2005 | 16.7 °C |
| 2006 | 16.0 °C |
| 2007 | 15.9 °C |
| 2008 | 15.9 °C |
| 2009 | 15.4 °C |
| 2010 | 17.1 °C |
| 2011 | 16.9 °C |
| 2012 | 16.6 °C |
| 2013 | 16.0 °C |
| 2014 | 15.6 °C |
| 2015 | 16.5 °C |
| 2016 | 16.6 °C |
| 2017 | 16.3 °C |
| 2018 | 16.6 °C |
| 2019 | 16.4 °C |
| 2020 | 16.1 °C |
| 2021 | 16.8 °C |
| 2022 | 16.7 °C |
| 2023 | 16.2 °C |
| 2024 | 17.3 °C |
| 2025 | 16.6 °C |
| 2026 | 16.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1994, Elkland's last spring frost has come about 4 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 11 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Cowanesque Dam (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.