USDA zone 5b in Pennsylvania
USDA plant hardiness zone 5b covers 25 locations across Pennsylvania (average annual extreme minimum −15 to −10 °F): Acosta, PA, Austin, PA, Brookville, PA, Columbus, PA, Edinboro, PA, Eldred, PA, and 19 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 26 (Edinboro) to May 24 (Sheffield), and growing seasons run 126–192 days (Sheffield to Edinboro) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Pennsylvania location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Wilcox, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 5b−15 to −10 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 26–May 24avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 28–Nov 4avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 126–192days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acosta | — | Laurel Summit | May 6 | Oct 12 | 159 |
| Austin | — | Stevenson Dam | May 10 | Oct 16 | 157 |
| Brookville | — | Dubois Jefferson Co Ap | May 6 | Oct 14 | 160 |
| Columbus | Youngsville, Sugar Grove, Bear Lake | Chandlers Valley 1se | May 22 | Sep 30 | 131 |
| Edinboro | — | Erie Intl Ap | Apr 26 | Nov 4 | 192 |
| Eldred | — | Port Allegany | May 15 | Oct 6 | 144 |
| Elkland | Addison, Knoxville | Cowanesque Dam | May 9 | Oct 12 | 155 |
| Emporium | — | Emporium | May 7 | Oct 15 | 160 |
| Foster Brook | Lewis Run, Eldred, University of Pittsburgh Bradford | Bradford 4sw Rsch 5 | May 18 | Oct 4 | 140 |
| Galeton | Sabinsville | Wellsboro 4 Sw | May 10 | Oct 5 | 148 |
| Mount Jewett | Lewis Run, Smethport, Rew, Eldred | Bradford Rgnl Ap | May 18 | Oct 1 | 136 |
| Mount Jewett | Smethport | Clermont 1 Nw | May 15 | Oct 3 | 140 |
| North Bend | — | Renovo | Apr 30 | Oct 22 | 173 |
| Port Allegany | Roulette | Coudersport 1 Sw | May 22 | Oct 1 | 130 |
| Sheffield | Youngsville, Clarendon | Warren | May 4 | Oct 21 | 168 |
| Sheffield | James | Kane 1nne | May 24 | Sep 28 | 126 |
| Shinglehouse | — | Oswayo 1 Ene | May 20 | Sep 29 | 130 |
| South Montrose | — | Montrose | May 14 | Oct 2 | 141 |
| St. Marys | Johnsonburg, Ridgway, Kersey, Byrnedale, Force | Ridgway | May 13 | Oct 11 | 150 |
| Starrucca | Union Dale, Hancock, Hankins, New Milford, Lakeside, Susquehanna Depot, +1 more | Pleasant Mt 1 W | May 14 | Oct 1 | 140 |
| Ulysses | Hornell, Alfred, Andover, Canisteo, Arkport | Alfred | May 18 | Oct 1 | 135 |
| Ulysses | Stannards, Scio, Genesee | Wellsville | May 15 | Oct 2 | 140 |
| Ulysses | Sweden Valley | Coudersport 7se | May 14 | Oct 4 | 143 |
| University of Pittsburgh Johnstown | — | Johnstown Cambria Co Ap | Apr 29 | Oct 21 | 176 |
| Wilcox * | — | Glen Hazel 2 Ne Dam | May 14 | Oct 6 | 143 |
* Wilcox is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Wilcox, representative)
Computed from Wilcox's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Pennsylvaniazone 5b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 21 – May 28 | Jul 20 – Aug 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 28 – Jun 4 | Jul 27 – Aug 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 21 – May 28 | Jul 10 – Jul 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 21 – May 28 | Jul 5 – Jul 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 21 – May 28 | Jul 10 – Jul 20 | Aug 7 – Aug 17 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 13 – Aug 12 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 21 – May 28 | Jun 20 – Jul 5 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 31 – Jun 15 | Jul 24 – Aug 8 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 27 – Jun 11 | Jul 14 – Jul 29 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 – May 22 | Aug 3 – Aug 13 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | Jun 22 – Jul 12 | Jul 4 – Jul 24 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | Jun 10 – Jun 30 | Jul 9 – Jul 29 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Wilcox's own 143-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Wilcox)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00363311. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 27 | Jun 8 | Sep 27 | Oct 8 | 121 |
| 32°F (freeze) | May 14 | May 29 | Oct 6 | Oct 20 | 143 |
| 28°F | May 3 | May 19 | Oct 18 | Nov 3 | 168 |
| 24°F | Apr 20 | May 9 | Nov 3 | Nov 17 | 193 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 25 locations is 2,065; Wilcox's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 2,008 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 3,934 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 5b in Pennsylvania
Zone 5b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −15 to −10 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Pennsylvania spans 7 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Pennsylvania locations for the full range, including zones5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a.
Explore zone 5b in other states at zone 5b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 5b mean in Pennsylvania?
- Zone 5b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −15 to −10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 25 locations in Pennsylvania fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Pennsylvania's zone 5b is the growing season longest?
- Edinboro runs the longest season on this page at about 192 days; Sheffield is shortest at about 126 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Pennsylvania's zone 5b?
- Using Wilcox's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Mar 19 – Apr 2, then transplant outside about May 21 – May 28. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Pennsylvania's zone 5b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 25 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.