Frost dates · USDA zone 6b
Frost dates for Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, PA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 18 and its first of fall around October 28 — a 193-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 2 | Nov 10 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 18 | Oct 28 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 6 | Oct 14 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 193 days median, at least 171 in 9 years of 10, at least 212 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 5 and first of Nov 8.
Pittsburgh planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 18) and median first frost (Oct 28) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 24 | Mar 21 | Jul 9 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 18 | May 18 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | May 19 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 21 | May 2 | Jul 1 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 21 | Apr 25 | Jul 9 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 7 | May 2 | Aug 5 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 21 | Apr 25 | Jul 9 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 21 | Apr 25 | Jul 14 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 21 | Apr 25 | Jul 14 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | Jun 13 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 7 | Apr 25 | Jul 4 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 7 | Apr 25 | Jul 9 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 7 | Apr 25 | Jul 14 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Pittsburgh grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Pittsburgh container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Pittsburgh frost questions
When is the last frost in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at PITTSBURGH ALLEGHENY CO AP, PA is April 18: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 6; nine years in ten, it comes after April 2. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 28. One year in ten it arrives before October 14; nine years in ten, before November 10.
How long is the growing season in Pittsburgh, PA?
193 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 171 days; one year in ten, at least 212 days.
What growing zone is Pittsburgh, PA?
USDA hardiness zone 6b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 15219. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Pittsburgh, PA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 7 and transplant around Apr 25, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 6. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 9.
When should I plant peppers in Pittsburgh, PA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 21; transplant no earlier than Apr 25, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 9.
Nearby in Pennsylvania
- Altoonalast frost Apr 25
- State Collegelast frost Apr 20
- Erielast frost Apr 26
- Harrisburglast frost Apr 15
- Yorklast frost Apr 26
- Lancasterlast frost Apr 19
All Pennsylvania frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →