Your nature year
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniathrough the year
Also for Bethel Park, PA, Monroeville, PA, Plum, PA: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Pittsburgh?
For a day trip, Ohiopyle State Park is 47 miles off; its fall foliage is usually well under way by late October (statewide). For wildflowers, the nearest is Cuyahoga Valley (99 mi, Mar 21–May 15 (local timing)). At some 970 feet up, Pittsburgh is on low ground. Pittsburgh usually sees its last spring frost around Apr 18 and its first fall frost around Oct 28, a frost-free stretch of about 193 days at the nearest NOAA station, Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport. About 4 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. The USA-NPN spring index puts first leaf here around Mar 25 and first bloom around Apr 25. Head southeast for the closest of the 20 places we follow around Pittsburgh. Statewide, Pennsylvania's 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)
Pittsburgh's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 18 to ~Oct 28
- First leaf ~Mar 25
- First bloom ~Apr 25
- Fall color under way ~Oct 25 (PA)
- Today
Near Pittsburgh 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 Oct 28 · last spring frost around Apr 18NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport (6.5 mi, 50% dates)~4 weeks
- Fall foliage · Ohiopyle State Park · 47 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
Pittsburgh's nature year
- Wildflowers · Cuyahoga ValleyMar–May
- Spring green-upMar
- Last spring frostApr
- Fall color (PA)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Ohiopyle State Park · 47 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
- Laurel Highlands · 48 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
- Laurel Hill State Park · 50 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
Wildflowers
- Cuyahoga Valley · 99 miLocal timing: Mar 21–May 15~6 months
- Catoctin Mountain · 147 miLocal timing: Apr 1–May 31~6 months
Snow in Pittsburgh
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 13 (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 Pittsburgh ASOS (12.9 mi away): 44 inches of snow in an average year, about 14.5 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 18
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 28
About 193 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 25
First bloom around Apr 25
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport (6.5 mi from Pittsburgh), 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 Pittsburgh?
On average around Oct 28, and the last spring frost around Apr 18: about 193 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport, 6.5 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Pittsburgh?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 25 and first bloom around Apr 25, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Pittsburgh?
Ohiopyle State Park, 47 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Laurel Highlands, 48 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Laurel Hill State Park, 50 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Pittsburgh?
Cuyahoga Valley, 99 miles (local timing: Mar 21–May 15); Catoctin Mountain, 147 miles (local timing: Apr 1–May 31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Pittsburgh?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 13: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Pittsburgh ASOS. An average year brings 44 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)