Your nature year
Erie, Pennsylvaniathrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Erie?
Erie sits at about 711 feet. The USA-NPN spring index puts first leaf here around Apr 7 and first bloom around May 11. About 5 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. Frost usually lets go around Apr 26 and comes back around Nov 4, according to the nearest NOAA station, Erie International Airport: roughly 192 days without it. Erie Refuge, 34 miles from Erie, is the nearest fall foliage spot on this site, usually at its best Oct 11–20. Cuyahoga Valley (97 mi) is the pick for wildflowers, Mar 21–May 15 (local timing). Within 150 miles we follow 16 places, out to Little Pine State Park 149 miles to the east. Across Pennsylvania, fall color is usually well under way by late October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Erie's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 26 to ~Nov 4
- First leaf ~Apr 7
- First bloom ~May 11
- Fall color under way ~Oct 25 (PA)
- Today
Near Erie right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by late October in PennsylvaniaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~4 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Nov 4 · last spring frost around Apr 26NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Erie International Airport (6.1 mi, 50% dates)~5 weeks
- Fall foliage · Erie Refuge · 34 miusually Oct 11–20~13 days
Erie's nature year
- Wildflowers · Cuyahoga ValleyMar–May
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostApr
- Fall color (PA)Oct
- First fall frostNov
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Erie Refuge · 34 miusually Oct 11–20~13 days
- Allegheny National Forest · 51 miAt one spot: Oct 8–14~10 days
- Allegany State Park · 65 miStatewide: usually well under way by mid-October~3 weeks
Wildflowers
- Cuyahoga Valley · 97 miLocal timing: Mar 21–May 15~6 months
Snow in Erie
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 7 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Erie International Airport (6.1 mi away): 104 inches of snow in an average year, about 28.2 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 26
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Nov 4
About 192 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 7
First bloom around May 11
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Erie International Airport (6.1 mi from Erie), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Erie?
On average around Nov 4, and the last spring frost around Apr 26: about 192 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Erie International Airport, 6.1 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Erie?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 7 and first bloom around May 11, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Erie?
Erie Refuge, 34 miles (usually Oct 11–20); Allegheny National Forest, 51 miles (at one spot: Oct 8–14); Allegany State Park, 65 miles (statewide: usually well under way by mid-October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Erie?
Cuyahoga Valley, 97 miles (local timing: Mar 21–May 15). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Erie?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 7: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Erie International Airport. An average year brings 104 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)