When to plant in Shoemakersville, PA
Planting dates worked out from Shoemakersville's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 23
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 13
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 20
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
190
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Reading 4 Nnw · 8.8 km away · station 110 m, town 110 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 | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 17 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 16 – Feb 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 2 |
| Peas | — | Mar 23 – Apr 20 | May 17 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 5 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 2 – May 14 | Jun 1 |
| Beet | — | Apr 2 – May 14 | May 22 |
| Potato | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 11 |
| Kale | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 12 |
| Broccoli | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | May 22 |
| Cucumber | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 12 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 7 |
| Winter squash | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jul 12 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 15 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | Jun 21 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 23 – Apr 20 | Apr 30 |
| Basil | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 19 |
Shoemakersville'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 |
|---|---|
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1972 | Apr 28 |
| 1973 | May 19 |
| 1974 | May 8 |
| 1975 | Apr 23 |
| 1976 | May 5 |
| 1977 | Apr 30 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | Apr 21 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | Apr 22 |
| 1982 | Apr 30 |
| 1983 | May 17 |
| 1984 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | May 4 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 4 |
| 1992 | Apr 14 |
| 1993 | Apr 27 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 8 |
| 1996 | Apr 15 |
| 1997 | Apr 15 |
| 1998 | Apr 12 |
| 1999 | Mar 27 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | Apr 24 |
| 2003 | Apr 8 |
| 2004 | Apr 6 |
| 2005 | Apr 16 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 165 |
| 1972 | 164 |
| 1973 | 152 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 190 |
| 1976 | 159 |
| 1977 | 170 |
| 1978 | 166 |
| 1979 | 187 |
| 1980 | 165 |
| 1981 | 173 |
| 1982 | 170 |
| 1983 | 157 |
| 1984 | 194 |
| 1985 | 177 |
| 1986 | 167 |
| 1988 | 164 |
| 1989 | 168 |
| 1990 | 190 |
| 1991 | 192 |
| 1992 | 173 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 175 |
| 1995 | 210 |
| 1996 | 179 |
| 1997 | 190 |
| 1998 | 204 |
| 1999 | 201 |
| 2000 | 177 |
| 2001 | 172 |
| 2002 | 180 |
| 2003 | 199 |
| 2004 | 211 |
| 2005 | 209 |
| 2006 | 187 |
| 2007 | 200 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 19.8 °C |
| 1971 | 18.3 °C |
| 1972 | 18.0 °C |
| 1973 | 18.9 °C |
| 1974 | 18.4 °C |
| 1975 | 18.0 °C |
| 1976 | 18.1 °C |
| 1977 | 18.6 °C |
| 1978 | 18.2 °C |
| 1979 | 18.4 °C |
| 1980 | 19.6 °C |
| 1981 | 18.5 °C |
| 1982 | 17.6 °C |
| 1983 | 19.1 °C |
| 1984 | 18.3 °C |
| 1985 | 19.2 °C |
| 1986 | 19.0 °C |
| 1987 | 19.9 °C |
| 1988 | 18.8 °C |
| 1989 | 18.1 °C |
| 1990 | 18.2 °C |
| 1991 | 19.7 °C |
| 1992 | 17.0 °C |
| 1993 | 18.8 °C |
| 1994 | 18.7 °C |
| 1995 | 19.0 °C |
| 1996 | 18.8 °C |
| 1997 | 18.3 °C |
| 1998 | 20.1 °C |
| 1999 | 20.1 °C |
| 2000 | 18.9 °C |
| 2001 | 19.2 °C |
| 2002 | 20.1 °C |
| 2003 | 18.8 °C |
| 2004 | 19.6 °C |
| 2005 | 20.3 °C |
| 2006 | 19.8 °C |
| 2007 | 20.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1970, Shoemakersville's last spring frost has come about 8 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 Reading 4 Nnw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.