When to plant in McKeesport, PA
Planting dates worked out from McKeesport's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 18
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 2
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 19
1 year in 10 by Oct 5
Frost-free days
173
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Mckeesport · 1.0 km away · station 226 m, town 233 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 23 – Apr 6 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 12 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 17 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 28 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 14 |
| Peas | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 18 |
| Bush beans | — | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jun 30 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | Jun 10 |
| Beet | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | May 24 |
| Potato | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 20 |
| Kale | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 3 |
| Cucumber | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 7 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 2 |
| Winter squash | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Aug 6 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 11 – Jun 1 | Jul 10 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jul 3 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 5 – Nov 2 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 1 |
| Basil | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 14 |
McKeesport'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 |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Apr 25 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1991 | Apr 3 |
| 1993 | Apr 27 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 10 |
| 1998 | Apr 13 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 27 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | May 24 |
| 2007 | May 18 |
| 2008 | May 21 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | Apr 15 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | Apr 26 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 169 |
| 1989 | 180 |
| 1990 | 184 |
| 1991 | 186 |
| 1993 | 165 |
| 1994 | 186 |
| 1996 | 149 |
| 1997 | 163 |
| 1998 | 203 |
| 1999 | 184 |
| 2000 | 183 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2005 | 176 |
| 2006 | 118 |
| 2007 | 120 |
| 2008 | 135 |
| 2010 | 173 |
| 2011 | 196 |
| 2012 | 165 |
| 2013 | 146 |
| 2014 | 184 |
| 2015 | 176 |
| 2017 | 174 |
| 2019 | 172 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 18.1 °C |
| 1989 | 17.2 °C |
| 1990 | 17.5 °C |
| 1991 | 19.9 °C |
| 1992 | 17.4 °C |
| 1993 | 18.4 °C |
| 1994 | 17.9 °C |
| 1996 | 17.9 °C |
| 1997 | 16.7 °C |
| 1998 | 18.9 °C |
| 1999 | 19.0 °C |
| 2000 | 18.0 °C |
| 2001 | 18.3 °C |
| 2005 | 18.5 °C |
| 2006 | 17.1 °C |
| 2007 | 17.1 °C |
| 2008 | 17.7 °C |
| 2010 | 19.6 °C |
| 2011 | 19.3 °C |
| 2012 | 19.4 °C |
| 2013 | 18.1 °C |
| 2015 | 19.0 °C |
| 2017 | 18.8 °C |
| 2019 | 19.4 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Mckeesport (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.