Frost dates for Reading, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals
In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Reading comes near April 14 and the first fall freeze near October 29. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after April 30 in spring — and one year in ten, the first fall freeze has already landed by October 13. NCEI's own growing-season statistic (days between freezes, percentiled per year) puts the median at 197 days.
Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds
| Threshold | Last spring — 9 in 10 years past by | Last spring — typical (median) | Last spring — 1 in 10 years later than | First fall — 1 in 10 years by | First fall — typical (median) | First fall — 9 in 10 years by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur) | April 14 | April 28 | May 13 | October 4 | October 17 | November 1 |
| 32°F — freezing | April 1 | April 14 | April 30 | October 13 | October 29 | November 10 |
| 28°F — hard freeze | March 17 | April 1 | April 15 | October 25 | November 8 | November 24 |
Measured at Reading Spaatz Fld, PA (USW00014712), 2.9 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 341 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals. Read each date column as odds over the 30-year record — e.g. "9 in 10 years past by" means only one spring in ten saw a later freeze than that date.
Frost-free windows (computed)
| Window (32°F ends) | Opens | Closes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | April 30 | October 13 | 166 days |
| Typical (median freeze dates) | April 14 | October 29 | 198 days |
| Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | April 1 | November 10 | 223 days |
Pure arithmetic on the freeze-date percentiles above — the "cautious" window opens on the date only 1 year in 10 still sees a later spring freeze, and closes on the date by which only 1 year in 10 has already frozen.
About this city's numbers
- Census entity: Reading city, Pennsylvania — official 2024 population estimate 96,000.
- Weather station: Reading Spaatz Fld, PA (USW00014712), 2.9 mi from the city's census-gazetteer reference point at elevation 341 ft. Frost dates are that station's history — neighborhoods vary.
- Data pulled 2026-09-05; normals period 1991-2020 (replaced by NOAA roughly once a decade).
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