Plan your vegetable garden in Pennsylvania

All the statistical weather information you need to prepare a bulletproof plan for your garden in Pennsylvania

Temperature range in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has temperatures ranging from -6°F to 93°F, with approximately 175 frost free days.

Pennsylvania has 148 days with average temperature range from 50°F to 90°F that are suitable for growing warm season vegetables and 146 days with average temperature range from 40°F to 80°F that are suitable for growing cool season vegetables

Chart displaying weekly air temperature in Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania air temperature chart based on weather statistics from 2019 to 2023

Total frost free days (after last frost and before first frost)	175
Total days suitable to grow warm season vegetables	148
Total days suitable to grow cool season vegetables	146
Day with highest recorded temperature in past 4 years	July 20: 93°F
Day with lowest recorded temperature in past 4 years	January 31: -6°F
First expected frost date	November 01
Last expected frost date	May 10

Notable temperature facts for gardening in Pennsylvania

Warm season vegetables you can grow in Pennsylvania

Chart displaying days suitable for growing warm season vegetables in Pennsylvania — Days suitable for growing warm season vegetables in Pennsylvania

Warm season vegetables can be planted in Pennsylvania after May 19 when air temperatures are consistently above 50°F (10°C) and soil temperature is above 50°F (10°C)

Good temperature range for warm season vegetables is between 50°F and 90°F. With warm season vegetables it is important to wait until all conditions are optimal, because sudden temperature drop can stun new vegetable growth, this way delaying overall harvest.

Warm season vegetables that can be planted directly into soil in Pennsylvania

Cucumber

Summer squash

Winter squash

Sweet corn

Eggplant

Okra

Tomato

Tomatillo

True Melon

Watermelon

Cool season vegetables you can grow in Pennsylvania

Chart displaying days suitable for growing cool season vegetables in Pennsylvania — Days suitable for growing cool season vegetables in Pennsylvania

Cool season vegetables can be planted in Pennsylvania after April 30 when average air temperature is consistently above 40°F (4°C) and soil temperature is above 45°F (7°C)

Good temperature range for cool season vegetables is between 40°F and 80°F. With cool season vegetables it is important to avoid high air temperatures because exposure to high temperatures is most likely to stun growth, cause bitterness and encourage premature bolting in some plants. Plan your cool vegetable planting so they are harvested before hot weather stretch, provide them with additional shading.

Cool season vegetables that can be planted directly into soil in Pennsylvania

Arugula

Beets

Kale

Radish

Swiss chard

Turnip

Parsley

Chives

Coriander

Kohlrabi

Cool season vegetables that need to be started indoors before transplanting outdoors in Pennsylvania

Peas

Broccoli

Carrot

Lettuce

Spinach

Cauliflower

Celery

Rhubarb

Rutabaga

Endive

Artichoke

Parsnip

Table with days suitable to grow vegetables in Pennsylvania

Tolerable temperature range for cool season vegetables: 40°F to 80°F

Tolerable temperature range for warm season vegetables: 50°F to 90°F

	Week	Average temperature	Possible min and max temperature	Suitable for cool season vegetables	Suitable for warm season vegetables
1	January 01 - January 03	35°F to 45°F	23°F to 56°F
2	January 04 - January 10	29°F to 40°F	14°F to 60°F
3	January 11 - January 17	27°F to 40°F	11°F to 62°F
4	January 18 - January 24	21°F to 35°F	-5°F to 48°F
5	January 25 - January 31	20°F to 33°F	-6°F to 48°F
6	February 01 - February 07	24°F to 40°F	1°F to 56°F
7	February 08 - February 14	25°F to 39°F	3°F to 57°F
8	February 15 - February 21	25°F to 42°F	6°F to 64°F
9	February 22 - February 28	29°F to 44°F	20°F to 63°F
10	March 01 - March 07	27°F to 44°F	1°F to 67°F
11	March 08 - March 14	30°F to 49°F	13°F to 66°F
12	March 15 - March 21	34°F to 52°F	23°F to 70°F
13	March 22 - March 28	36°F to 53°F	22°F to 68°F
14	March 29 - April 04	36°F to 55°F	19°F to 71°F
15	April 05 - April 11	42°F to 61°F	31°F to 76°F	TRUE
16	April 12 - April 18	44°F to 62°F	29°F to 82°F	TRUE
17	April 19 - April 25	42°F to 61°F	30°F to 78°F	TRUE
18	April 26 - May 02	44°F to 61°F	32°F to 79°F	TRUE
19	May 03 - May 09	47°F to 63°F	35°F to 76°F	TRUE
20	May 10 - May 16	46°F to 66°F	29°F to 80°F	TRUE
21	May 17 - May 23	53°F to 73°F	39°F to 85°F	TRUE	TRUE
22	May 24 - May 30	57°F to 74°F	45°F to 84°F	TRUE	TRUE
23	May 31 - June 06	57°F to 76°F	44°F to 90°F	TRUE	TRUE
24	June 07 - June 13	59°F to 76°F	50°F to 87°F	TRUE	TRUE
25	June 14 - June 20	58°F to 75°F	50°F to 85°F	TRUE	TRUE
26	June 21 - June 27	62°F to 79°F	49°F to 86°F	TRUE	TRUE
27	June 28 - July 04	64°F to 82°F	56°F to 91°F		TRUE
28	July 05 - July 11	67°F to 84°F	59°F to 92°F		TRUE
29	July 12 - July 18	67°F to 83°F	61°F to 90°F		TRUE
30	July 19 - July 25	67°F to 84°F	58°F to 93°F		TRUE
31	July 26 - August 01	66°F to 83°F	57°F to 91°F		TRUE
32	August 02 - August 08	65°F to 82°F	57°F to 90°F		TRUE
33	August 09 - August 15	66°F to 83°F	57°F to 92°F		TRUE
34	August 16 - August 22	65°F to 81°F	56°F to 88°F		TRUE
35	August 23 - August 29	65°F to 81°F	57°F to 89°F		TRUE
36	August 30 - September 05	63°F to 78°F	53°F to 88°F	TRUE	TRUE
37	September 06 - September 12	62°F to 78°F	53°F to 89°F	TRUE	TRUE
38	September 13 - September 19	58°F to 74°F	48°F to 82°F	TRUE	TRUE
39	September 20 - September 26	54°F to 71°F	43°F to 85°F	TRUE	TRUE
40	September 27 - October 03	54°F to 70°F	44°F to 85°F	TRUE	TRUE
41	October 04 - October 10	51°F to 66°F	39°F to 80°F	TRUE	TRUE
42	October 11 - October 17	49°F to 64°F	42°F to 78°F	TRUE
43	October 18 - October 24	46°F to 61°F	35°F to 76°F	TRUE
44	October 25 - October 31	47°F to 61°F	37°F to 73°F	TRUE
45	November 01 - November 07	40°F to 55°F	28°F to 72°F	TRUE
46	November 08 - November 14	39°F to 55°F	20°F to 72°F
47	November 15 - November 21	32°F to 46°F	20°F to 63°F
48	November 22 - November 28	35°F to 47°F	26°F to 59°F
49	November 29 - December 05	32°F to 44°F	22°F to 56°F
50	December 06 - December 12	32°F to 44°F	23°F to 59°F
51	December 13 - December 19	30°F to 41°F	13°F to 60°F
52	December 20 - December 26	26°F to 40°F	-1°F to 56°F
53	December 27 - December 31	33°F to 44°F	13°F to 56°F

Table with days suitable to grow vegetables in Pennsylvania

Counties in Pennsylvania

For more precise weather statisctics and planting information, please select a County.