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When to plant in Nanticoke, PA

USDA Zone 6b

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

These dates come from a station roughly 25 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around Nanticoke (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. In zone 6b, Nanticoke gardeners can grow many hardy perennials, while the last and first frost still dictate the annual vegetable calendar.

Station · FRANCIS E WALTER DAM · 24.5 km
Last spring frost
May 7
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
October 6
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
152 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for NanticokeA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Nanticoke: last spring frost around May 7, first fall frost around October 6, about 152 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Nanticoke is now 8 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

FRANCIS E WALTER DAM · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Nanticoke’s own odds, recorded at FRANCIS E WALTER DAM.

Frost-probability curves for NanticokeProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around May 7 and the first fall frost around October 6, giving about 152 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FJun 2May 20May 2Sep 13Sep 27Oct 8
32°FMay 23May 7Apr 22Sep 22Oct 6Oct 22
28°FMay 11Apr 24Apr 9Oct 3Oct 19Nov 4

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowopen now
Broccoli
July 14July 28
Fall sowopen now
Cabbage
July 14July 28
Fall sowopen now
Carrot
July 14July 28
Fall sowopen now
Cauliflower
July 14July 28
Fall sowopen now
Napa Cabbage
July 14August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Beet
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Collards
July 28August 25
Fall sowin 9 days
Endive
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Escarole
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Fennel (Bulb)
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Kale
July 28August 25
Fall sowin 9 days
Kohlrabi
July 28August 25
Fall sowin 9 days
Peas
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Radicchio
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Swiss Chard
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 9 days
Turnip
July 28August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Arugula
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Bok Choy
August 11August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Chervil
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Cilantro
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Claytonia (Miner's Lettuce)
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Corn Salad (Mâche)
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
August 11August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Lettuce
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Mizuna
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Mustard Greens
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Radish
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Shungiku (Edible Chrysanthemum)
August 11August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Spinach
August 11September 8
Fall sowin 23 days
Tatsoi
August 11September 8

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Nanticoke, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 29 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

FRANCIS E WALTER DAM
Primary
25 km · 460 m elevation
SPRING
May 7
FALL
Oct 6
WILKES-BARRE INTL AP
27 km · 284 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 23
FALL
Oct 20
BENTON 3 NE
29 km · 334 m elevation
SPRING
May 4
FALL
Oct 11

Nanticoke planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Nanticoke, PA?

Nanticoke's average last spring frost falls near May 7 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in Nanticoke, PA?

In Nanticoke, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around October 6 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Nanticoke in?

Nanticoke is in USDA hardiness zone 6b. In zone 6b, winters are moderate — most common vegetables grow well in season.

How long is the growing season in Nanticoke?

Nanticoke has about 152 frost-free days — a moderate growing season — between the average last spring frost (May 7) and first fall frost (October 6).

When should I plant tomatoes in Nanticoke?

For Nanticoke, sow tomatoes indoors about March 12–March 26 and move the seedlings out around May 14, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Nanticoke

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Nanticoke’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at FRANCIS E WALTER DAM, 25 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Nanticoke, PA — Frost Dates & Zone 6b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00363018. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/pennsylvania/nanticoke.
When to Plant in Nanticoke, PA — Frost Dates & Zone 6b — BlissGarden