U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00003872 · West Virginia

Frost Dates for Beckley, WV

NOAA weather station Beckley Raleigh County Airport (USW00003872), West Virginia · elevation 2514 ft (766 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 13only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season180 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Beckley, WVSpring: a frost after April 8 in 9 years out of 10, after April 22 in half of the years, after May 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 21 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 180 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 22First frost ~Oct 21Frost season at Beckley, WVSpring: a frost after April 8 in 9 years out of 10, after April 22 in half of the years, after May 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 8 in 1 year out of 10, before October 21 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 180 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 22First frost ~Oct 21
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 13October 8
50% (typical)April 22October 21
90% (likely)April 8November 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
180 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 31

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 21 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 24 (3 days later). Frost-free season 184 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Beckley: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 13, 20% May 6, 30% May 1, 40% April 27, 50% April 22, 60% April 19, 70% April 16, 80% April 13, 90% April 8. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 20, 2023 April 25, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 13Apr 22Apr 82021: April 232022: April 202023: April 252024: April 222025: April 172026: May 3Fall at Beckley: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 8, 20% October 13, 30% October 16, 40% October 18, 50% October 21, 60% October 23, 70% October 26, 80% October 29, 90% November 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 2, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 8Oct 21Nov 22021: November 22022: October 92023: October 232024: October 172025: October 24
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 23November 2
2022April 20October 9
2023April 25October 23
2024April 22October 17
2025April 17October 24
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 8 marks the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Beckley; only a 10 % chance exists that a light frost will have arrived earlier. In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 13, when the chance of a light frost later than that date is just 10 %; planting on April 8 carries a 90 % gamble. The 50% dates are April 22 for light frost in spring and October 21 for light frost in fall, each representing an even odds point—a 50 % chance of a light frost later than April 22 and a 50 % chance of a light frost earlier than October 21. The 50% hard-frost dates are April 9 and October 31, indicating when a 28 °F frost is as likely as not. A hard frost at 28 °F can injure plant tissue that would survive a light frost at 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 13" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 8" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Beckley, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Beckley Va Hospital, WV — 4 mi; 2 — Mullens, WV — 18 mi; 3 — Pineville, WV — 27 mi; 4 — London Locks, WV — 31 mi; 5 — Lewisburg, WV — 40 mi.WVVA25 mi · 40 km1. Beckley Va Hospital, WV — 4 mi12. Mullens, WV — 18 mi23. Pineville, WV — 27 mi34. London Locks, WV — 31 mi45. Lewisburg, WV — 40 mi5
  1. Beckley Va Hospital, WV 4 mi (7 km)
  2. Mullens, WV 18 mi (29 km)
  3. Pineville, WV 27 mi (43 km)
  4. London Locks, WV 31 mi (50 km)
  5. Lewisburg, WV 40 mi (64 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.7836, -81.1231.