Erie, Pennsylvania: planting zone & frost dates
Erie is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6b, where the average coldest winter night reaches -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 2 and the first fall frost around Oct 30.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 13 | Oct 21 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 2 | Oct 30 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 26 | Nov 4 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station ERIE INTL AP, PA (USW00014860), 6.2 mi (9.9 km) from the city center and 20 ft higher than the city center (+6 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 30 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Erie
Erie spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 12 ZIP codes): 6b (73%), 7a (27%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Erie
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 2, first frost Oct 30). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 9 – May 23 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 16 – May 30 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Apr 4 – May 16 | Aug 21 – Sep 18 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 9 – Jun 13 | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 9 – Jun 6 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 9 – May 23 | May 9 – May 30 | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Cucumber | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 16 – May 23 | May 9 – May 30 | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 11 – May 16 | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Onion | Feb 7 – Feb 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | May 16 – Jun 6 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 21 – Apr 18 | Sep 4 – Oct 2 |
| Kale | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Aug 21 – Sep 18 |
| Broccoli | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 9 | — | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 21 – Apr 11 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
| Eggplant | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 16 – May 30 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | — | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 28 – May 16 | Sep 18 – Oct 16 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
Nearby cities in Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh — zone 6b, last frost Apr 24, first frost Oct 22
- Reading — zone 7a, last frost Apr 21, first frost Oct 22
- Allentown — zone 7a, last frost Apr 26, first frost Oct 17
- Bethlehem — zone 7a, last frost Apr 26, first frost Oct 17
- Philadelphia — zone 7b, last frost Apr 4, first frost Nov 11
More: all Pennsylvania cities · other zone 6b cities: Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Boston, MA, Detroit, MI, Kansas City, MO, Cincinnati, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Buffalo, NY
Erie gardening questions
When is the last frost in Erie, PA?
Plan around May 2. At NOAA's Erie Int'l Airport, PA station, 6.2 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 26, and after May 13 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 11. The 90% and 10% dates are 33 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Erie, PA?
Start seeds indoors Mar 7 – Mar 21 and set transplants outside May 9 – May 23, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 181 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Erie?
About 192 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 171 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 214 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 21 and a 30% chance by Oct 30. That ranks 4th longest of 6 Pennsylvania cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Erie?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 30): transplant broccoli Aug 7 – Aug 21; sow kale Aug 21 – Sep 18; sow lettuce Aug 21 – Sep 18; sow radishes Sep 18 – Oct 16. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 16. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Erie's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, Erie is zone 6b on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Erie in zone 6b?
No. Zone 6b covers about 73% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (27%), measured across the city's 12 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.