When to plant in Forest City, PA
Planting dates worked out from Forest City's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 29
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 16
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 3
1 year in 10 by Sep 21
Frost-free days
140
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Pleasant Mt 1 W · 9.9 km away · station 549 m, town 480 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 3 – Apr 17 | May 29 – Jun 12 | Jul 23 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 29 – Jun 12 | Jul 28 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | May 28 |
| Peas | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | Jun 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 22 – Jun 12 | Jul 11 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 25 – Jun 6 | Jun 24 |
| Beet | — | Apr 25 – Jun 6 | Jun 14 |
| Potato | — | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jul 4 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 17 |
| Cucumber | May 1 – May 8 | May 29 – Jun 12 | Jul 18 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 1 – May 8 | May 29 – Jun 12 | Jul 13 |
| Winter squash | May 1 – May 8 | May 29 – Jun 12 | Aug 17 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 22 – Jun 12 | Jul 21 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jul 17 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 19 – Oct 17 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | May 25 |
| Basil | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 29 – Jun 12 | Jul 25 |
Forest City'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 |
|---|---|
| 1952 | May 17 |
| 1953 | May 29 |
| 1954 | May 14 |
| 1955 | May 20 |
| 1956 | May 29 |
| 1957 | May 17 |
| 1958 | Jun 7 |
| 1959 | May 25 |
| 1960 | May 11 |
| 1962 | May 12 |
| 1963 | May 25 |
| 1964 | Jun 5 |
| 1965 | May 30 |
| 1966 | May 31 |
| 1967 | May 31 |
| 1968 | May 9 |
| 1969 | May 27 |
| 1970 | May 8 |
| 1971 | May 24 |
| 1972 | Jun 11 |
| 1973 | May 20 |
| 1975 | May 6 |
| 1976 | May 23 |
| 1977 | May 16 |
| 1978 | May 6 |
| 1980 | Jun 11 |
| 1981 | May 19 |
| 1982 | May 5 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 16 |
| 1988 | May 12 |
| 1989 | May 9 |
| 1990 | May 12 |
| 1991 | May 5 |
| 1992 | May 20 |
| 1993 | May 14 |
| 1994 | May 28 |
| 1995 | May 9 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1998 | Apr 30 |
| 1999 | May 2 |
| 2000 | May 15 |
| 2001 | Jun 1 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | May 15 |
| 2004 | May 30 |
| 2005 | May 17 |
| 2006 | May 23 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2009 | Jun 1 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | Apr 23 |
| 2012 | May 1 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 7 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 17 |
| 2017 | May 12 |
| 2022 | May 9 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
| 2025 | Apr 21 |
| 2026 | May 12 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1952 | 139 |
| 1953 | 111 |
| 1954 | 132 |
| 1955 | 124 |
| 1956 | 103 |
| 1958 | 116 |
| 1959 | 114 |
| 1960 | 143 |
| 1962 | 117 |
| 1963 | 111 |
| 1964 | 100 |
| 1965 | 119 |
| 1966 | 117 |
| 1967 | 115 |
| 1968 | 149 |
| 1969 | 116 |
| 1970 | 149 |
| 1971 | 123 |
| 1973 | 112 |
| 1975 | 126 |
| 1976 | 122 |
| 1977 | 118 |
| 1978 | 142 |
| 1980 | 107 |
| 1981 | 132 |
| 1982 | 150 |
| 1985 | 150 |
| 1986 | 105 |
| 1987 | 140 |
| 1988 | 126 |
| 1989 | 138 |
| 1990 | 160 |
| 1991 | 139 |
| 1992 | 126 |
| 1993 | 128 |
| 1994 | 127 |
| 1995 | 124 |
| 1996 | 131 |
| 1998 | 146 |
| 1999 | 156 |
| 2000 | 136 |
| 2001 | 120 |
| 2002 | 144 |
| 2003 | 140 |
| 2004 | 127 |
| 2005 | 155 |
| 2006 | 136 |
| 2007 | 143 |
| 2009 | 122 |
| 2010 | 149 |
| 2011 | 165 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 124 |
| 2014 | 150 |
| 2015 | 140 |
| 2016 | 146 |
| 2022 | 152 |
| 2023 | 158 |
| 2024 | 172 |
| 2025 | 171 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1952 | 14.7 °C |
| 1954 | 13.7 °C |
| 1955 | 15.4 °C |
| 1956 | 12.8 °C |
| 1958 | 13.1 °C |
| 1959 | 15.1 °C |
| 1960 | 14.0 °C |
| 1962 | 13.6 °C |
| 1963 | 12.9 °C |
| 1964 | 13.6 °C |
| 1965 | 13.7 °C |
| 1966 | 13.4 °C |
| 1967 | 13.4 °C |
| 1968 | 14.2 °C |
| 1969 | 14.6 °C |
| 1970 | 14.2 °C |
| 1971 | 13.6 °C |
| 1972 | 13.4 °C |
| 1973 | 14.0 °C |
| 1975 | 13.2 °C |
| 1976 | 12.9 °C |
| 1977 | 13.8 °C |
| 1978 | 13.1 °C |
| 1980 | 14.4 °C |
| 1981 | 14.1 °C |
| 1982 | 13.6 °C |
| 1983 | 14.2 °C |
| 1985 | 14.7 °C |
| 1986 | 14.6 °C |
| 1987 | 14.3 °C |
| 1988 | 14.1 °C |
| 1989 | 13.7 °C |
| 1990 | 13.9 °C |
| 1991 | 15.3 °C |
| 1992 | 12.8 °C |
| 1993 | 14.2 °C |
| 1994 | 14.2 °C |
| 1995 | 14.1 °C |
| 1996 | 13.9 °C |
| 1998 | 14.9 °C |
| 1999 | 14.8 °C |
| 2000 | 13.7 °C |
| 2001 | 14.4 °C |
| 2002 | 14.8 °C |
| 2003 | 14.1 °C |
| 2004 | 14.8 °C |
| 2005 | 15.6 °C |
| 2006 | 14.8 °C |
| 2007 | 14.5 °C |
| 2009 | 14.2 °C |
| 2010 | 15.8 °C |
| 2011 | 15.3 °C |
| 2012 | 15.2 °C |
| 2013 | 14.6 °C |
| 2014 | 14.4 °C |
| 2015 | 15.1 °C |
| 2016 | 14.9 °C |
| 2017 | 14.8 °C |
| 2022 | 15.4 °C |
| 2023 | 15.0 °C |
| 2024 | 15.6 °C |
| 2025 | 15.3 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1952, Forest City's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Pleasant Mt 1 W (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.