Your nature year
Scranton, Pennsylvaniathrough the year
Also for Wilkes-Barre, PA, Hazleton, PA: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Scranton?
Head southeast for the closest of the 16 places we follow around Scranton. For a day trip, Cherry Valley Refuge is 40 miles off; its fall foliage is usually at its best Oct 21–31. For wildflowers, the nearest is Bombay Hook (149 mi, Apr 1–May 31 (local timing)). Expect about 180 frost-free days in Scranton: the last spring frost usually comes around Apr 23, the first fall one around Oct 20, going by NOAA's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport station 5.7 miles away. Spring green-up reaches town around Apr 6, with first blooms around May 5. The town is about 737 feet above sea level. 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)
Scranton's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 23 to ~Oct 20
- First leaf ~Apr 6
- First bloom ~May 5
- Fall color under way ~Oct 25 (PA)
- Today
Near Scranton 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 20 · last spring frost around Apr 23NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (5.7 mi, 50% dates)~3 weeks
- Fall foliage · Cherry Valley Refuge · 40 miusually Oct 21–31~3 weeks
Scranton's nature year
- Wildflowers · Bombay HookApr–May
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostApr
- Fall color (PA)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Cherry Valley Refuge · 40 miusually Oct 21–31~3 weeks
- Delaware Water Gap · 40 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
- Western Catskills · 73 miStatewide: usually well under way by mid-October~3 weeks
Wildflowers
- Bombay Hook · 149 miLocal timing: Apr 1–May 31~6 months
Snow in Scranton
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 24 (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 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (5.7 mi away): 45 inches of snow in an average year, about 13.5 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 23
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 20
About 180 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 6
First bloom around May 5
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (5.7 mi from Scranton), 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 Scranton?
On average around Oct 20, and the last spring frost around Apr 23: about 180 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, 5.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Scranton?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 6 and first bloom around May 5, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Scranton?
Cherry Valley Refuge, 40 miles (usually Oct 21–31); Delaware Water Gap, 40 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Western Catskills, 73 miles (statewide: usually well under way by mid-October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Scranton?
Bombay Hook, 149 miles (local timing: Apr 1–May 31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Scranton?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 24: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. An average year brings 45 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)