When to plant in Vandergrift, PA
Planting dates worked out from Vandergrift's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 22
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 8
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 14
1 year in 10 by Oct 5
Frost-free days
158
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ford City 4 S Dam · 13.2 km away · station 284 m, town 268 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 27 – Apr 10 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 16 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 21 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 20 |
| Peas | — | Mar 29 – Apr 26 | May 23 |
| Bush beans | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 4 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 17 – May 29 | Jun 16 |
| Beet | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | May 30 |
| Potato | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 26 |
| Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 9 |
| Cucumber | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 11 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 6 |
| Winter squash | Apr 24 – May 1 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Aug 10 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 14 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jul 9 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 30 – Oct 28 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 29 – Apr 26 | May 6 |
| Basil | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 22 – Jun 5 | Jul 18 |
Vandergrift'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 |
|---|---|
| 1944 | Apr 30 |
| 1945 | May 7 |
| 1946 | May 10 |
| 1947 | May 12 |
| 1948 | May 20 |
| 1949 | Jun 8 |
| 1950 | May 9 |
| 1951 | May 14 |
| 1952 | May 4 |
| 1953 | Apr 24 |
| 1954 | May 5 |
| 1955 | May 18 |
| 1956 | May 25 |
| 1957 | May 7 |
| 1958 | May 10 |
| 1959 | May 9 |
| 1960 | May 2 |
| 1961 | May 30 |
| 1962 | May 10 |
| 1963 | May 25 |
| 1964 | Apr 25 |
| 1965 | Apr 29 |
| 1966 | May 12 |
| 1968 | May 8 |
| 1969 | May 2 |
| 1970 | May 8 |
| 1971 | May 5 |
| 1972 | May 12 |
| 1973 | May 16 |
| 1974 | May 11 |
| 1975 | Apr 27 |
| 1976 | May 14 |
| 1977 | May 11 |
| 1978 | May 4 |
| 1979 | May 5 |
| 1982 | May 4 |
| 1983 | May 17 |
| 1984 | May 26 |
| 1985 | May 25 |
| 1986 | Jul 4 |
| 1987 | May 16 |
| 1991 | Apr 17 |
| 1992 | Apr 29 |
| 1993 | Apr 27 |
| 1994 | May 12 |
| 1998 | Apr 27 |
| 2000 | Apr 27 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 26 |
| 2004 | May 6 |
| 2005 | May 6 |
| 2006 | May 24 |
| 2007 | May 18 |
| 2008 | May 5 |
| 2009 | May 20 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | May 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | May 25 |
| 2014 | May 6 |
| 2015 | May 23 |
| 2016 | May 17 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | May 2 |
| 2019 | Apr 30 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | May 14 |
| 2022 | May 1 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
| 2026 | May 4 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1944 | 167 |
| 1945 | 149 |
| 1946 | 155 |
| 1947 | 133 |
| 1948 | 136 |
| 1949 | 114 |
| 1950 | 148 |
| 1951 | 138 |
| 1952 | 152 |
| 1953 | 166 |
| 1954 | 154 |
| 1955 | 156 |
| 1956 | 118 |
| 1957 | 142 |
| 1959 | 130 |
| 1960 | 172 |
| 1961 | 126 |
| 1962 | 161 |
| 1963 | 121 |
| 1964 | 163 |
| 1965 | 158 |
| 1966 | 143 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 165 |
| 1970 | 161 |
| 1971 | 183 |
| 1972 | 150 |
| 1973 | 155 |
| 1974 | 135 |
| 1975 | 158 |
| 1976 | 150 |
| 1977 | 155 |
| 1978 | 166 |
| 1979 | 158 |
| 1982 | 166 |
| 1983 | 128 |
| 1984 | 160 |
| 1985 | 134 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 144 |
| 1998 | 178 |
| 2000 | 162 |
| 2001 | 160 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 158 |
| 2004 | 152 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2006 | 141 |
| 2008 | 154 |
| 2009 | 146 |
| 2010 | 155 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2012 | 163 |
| 2013 | 151 |
| 2014 | 158 |
| 2015 | 148 |
| 2016 | 161 |
| 2017 | 170 |
| 2018 | 169 |
| 2019 | 165 |
| 2020 | 155 |
| 2021 | 172 |
| 2022 | 160 |
| 2023 | 157 |
| 2024 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1944 | 18.0 °C |
| 1945 | 17.6 °C |
| 1946 | 16.6 °C |
| 1947 | 17.5 °C |
| 1948 | 17.2 °C |
| 1949 | 16.9 °C |
| 1950 | 15.6 °C |
| 1951 | 16.6 °C |
| 1952 | 17.2 °C |
| 1953 | 17.0 °C |
| 1954 | 16.7 °C |
| 1955 | 17.9 °C |
| 1956 | 15.7 °C |
| 1957 | 17.2 °C |
| 1959 | 18.2 °C |
| 1960 | 17.2 °C |
| 1961 | 16.4 °C |
| 1962 | 16.7 °C |
| 1963 | 16.0 °C |
| 1964 | 16.8 °C |
| 1965 | 17.0 °C |
| 1966 | 16.1 °C |
| 1968 | 17.0 °C |
| 1969 | 17.0 °C |
| 1970 | 17.7 °C |
| 1971 | 16.4 °C |
| 1972 | 16.5 °C |
| 1973 | 17.2 °C |
| 1974 | 16.0 °C |
| 1975 | 16.6 °C |
| 1976 | 16.0 °C |
| 1977 | 17.5 °C |
| 1978 | 16.7 °C |
| 1979 | 16.2 °C |
| 1980 | 17.0 °C |
| 1982 | 16.3 °C |
| 1984 | 16.0 °C |
| 1985 | 16.8 °C |
| 1987 | 18.2 °C |
| 1991 | 19.4 °C |
| 1992 | 17.0 °C |
| 1993 | 18.5 °C |
| 1994 | 17.7 °C |
| 1995 | 18.7 °C |
| 1998 | 19.1 °C |
| 2000 | 17.5 °C |
| 2001 | 17.6 °C |
| 2002 | 18.4 °C |
| 2003 | 17.6 °C |
| 2005 | 18.1 °C |
| 2006 | 17.5 °C |
| 2008 | 17.2 °C |
| 2009 | 16.8 °C |
| 2010 | 18.0 °C |
| 2011 | 18.3 °C |
| 2012 | 18.1 °C |
| 2013 | 17.3 °C |
| 2014 | 17.1 °C |
| 2015 | 18.2 °C |
| 2016 | 18.4 °C |
| 2017 | 17.8 °C |
| 2018 | 18.4 °C |
| 2019 | 18.4 °C |
| 2020 | 17.5 °C |
| 2021 | 17.9 °C |
| 2022 | 17.9 °C |
| 2023 | 17.4 °C |
| 2024 | 18.9 °C |
| 2026 | 18.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1944, Vandergrift's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Ford City 4 S Dam (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.