U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00440766 · Virginia

Frost Dates near Blacksburg, VA

NOAA weather station Blacksburg Nwso (USC00440766), Virginia · elevation 2103 ft (641 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

Blacksburg is the nearest town to the station (1.8 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 14only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season175 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Blacksburg, VASpring: a frost after April 11 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 19Frost season near Blacksburg, VASpring: a frost after April 11 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 19
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 14October 6
50% (typical)April 24October 19
90% (likely)April 11November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
175 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 11
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 29

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 22 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 23 (4 days later). Frost-free season 183 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 near Blacksburg: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 14, 20% May 7, 30% May 1, 40% April 28, 50% April 24, 60% April 21, 70% April 19, 80% April 15, 90% April 11. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 24, 2022 May 10, 2023 April 25, 2024 April 23, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 4.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 14Apr 24Apr 112021: April 242022: May 102023: April 252024: April 232025: April 182026: May 4Fall near Blacksburg: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 6, 20% October 10, 30% October 14, 40% October 16, 50% October 19, 60% October 22, 70% October 25, 80% October 28, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 November 1, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 21.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 19Nov 12021: November 32022: October 92023: November 12024: October 172025: October 21
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 24November 3
2022May 10October 9
2023April 25November 1
2024April 23October 17
2025April 18October 21
2026May 4season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 6 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in the Blacksburg area, reflecting only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. The 50% fall date, October 19, marks the point when a light frost is equally likely, while November 1 carries a 90% chance and represents a gamble for late-season tender crops.

In spring, the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 14, when there is just a 10% chance of a light frost later. April 24 is the 50% spring date, the median moment a light frost could occur, and planting on April 11 involves a 90% chance and is a gamble. The hard-frost 50% dates are April 11 in spring and October 29 in fall; these indicate when a 28 °F event is equally likely.

Hard frost matters more than light frost because the 28 °F temperature can cause far more severe damage to plants than the milder 32 °F light frost.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 14" 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 6" 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 Blacksburg, VANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Christiansburg, VA — 5 mi; 2 — Pearisburg, VA — 16 mi; 3 — Pulaski, VA — 23 mi; 4 — Roanoke, VA — 25 mi; 5 — Stuart, VA — 40 mi.VANCWVTN25 mi · 40 km1. Christiansburg, VA — 5 mi12. Pearisburg, VA — 16 mi23. Pulaski, VA — 23 mi34. Roanoke, VA — 25 mi45. Stuart, VA — 40 mi5
  1. Christiansburg, VA 5 mi (9 km)
  2. Pearisburg, VA 16 mi (26 km)
  3. Pulaski, VA 23 mi (37 km)
  4. Roanoke, VA 25 mi (41 km)
  5. Stuart, VA 40 mi (65 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.2039, -80.4144.