When to plant in Mount Union, PA
Planting dates worked out from Mount Union's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 8
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 20
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 20
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
186
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Raystown Lake 2 · 16.4 km away · station 305 m, town 186 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 13 – Mar 27 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 22 |
| Bush beans | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 20 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Jun 5 |
| Beet | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | May 26 |
| Potato | — | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jun 15 |
| Kale | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 27 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 22 |
| Winter squash | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 5 |
| Basil | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 4 |
Mount Union'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 |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Apr 23 |
| 1976 | May 5 |
| 1977 | May 1 |
| 1978 | May 1 |
| 1979 | May 17 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | May 8 |
| 1982 | May 2 |
| 1983 | May 17 |
| 1984 | May 17 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 |
| 1990 | Apr 20 |
| 1991 | Apr 13 |
| 1992 | May 7 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | Apr 16 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 10 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 2002 | Apr 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | Apr 28 |
| 2005 | Mar 27 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 12 |
| 2008 | Apr 15 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | Mar 29 |
| 2011 | Apr 3 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 190 |
| 1976 | 166 |
| 1977 | 164 |
| 1978 | 167 |
| 1979 | 150 |
| 1980 | 139 |
| 1981 | 154 |
| 1983 | 157 |
| 1984 | 169 |
| 1989 | 168 |
| 1990 | 182 |
| 1991 | 177 |
| 1992 | 139 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 160 |
| 1995 | 183 |
| 1996 | 141 |
| 1997 | 159 |
| 1998 | 188 |
| 2002 | 190 |
| 2004 | 195 |
| 2005 | 228 |
| 2006 | 207 |
| 2007 | 199 |
| 2008 | 187 |
| 2009 | 184 |
| 2011 | 207 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 17.1 °C |
| 1976 | 16.9 °C |
| 1977 | 18.1 °C |
| 1978 | 17.0 °C |
| 1979 | 16.8 °C |
| 1980 | 17.7 °C |
| 1981 | 17.7 °C |
| 1982 | 17.1 °C |
| 1983 | 17.9 °C |
| 1984 | 17.2 °C |
| 1989 | 17.1 °C |
| 1990 | 16.9 °C |
| 1991 | 18.6 °C |
| 1992 | 16.2 °C |
| 1993 | 17.9 °C |
| 1994 | 17.6 °C |
| 1995 | 17.5 °C |
| 1996 | 17.6 °C |
| 1997 | 16.5 °C |
| 1998 | 18.2 °C |
| 2001 | 18.6 °C |
| 2002 | 19.0 °C |
| 2004 | 18.4 °C |
| 2005 | 19.1 °C |
| 2006 | 18.7 °C |
| 2007 | 18.7 °C |
| 2008 | 18.4 °C |
| 2009 | 17.7 °C |
| 2011 | 19.6 °C |
| 2012 | 19.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1975, Mount Union's last spring frost has come about 8 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Raystown Lake 2 (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.