U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00461220 · West Virginia

Frost Dates for Buckhannon, WV

NOAA weather station Buckhannon (USC00461220), West Virginia · elevation 1455 ft (444 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season173 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Buckhannon, WVSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 173 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Buckhannon, WVSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 173 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 20
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 16October 6
50% (typical)April 29October 20
90% (likely)April 14November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
173 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 15
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 31

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 29 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 24 (4 days later). Frost-free season 178 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 Buckhannon: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 16, 20% May 11, 30% May 5, 40% May 1, 50% April 29, 60% April 25, 70% April 21, 80% April 18, 90% April 14. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 13, 2022 April 29, 2023 May 5, 2024 April 23, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 4.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 16Apr 29Apr 142021: May 132022: April 292023: May 52024: April 232025: April 182026: May 4Fall at Buckhannon: 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 17, 50% October 20, 60% October 23, 70% October 25, 80% October 28, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 18, 2025 October 17.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 20Nov 12021: November 32022: October 92023: October 232024: October 182025: October 17
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
2021May 13November 3
2022April 29October 9
2023May 5October 23
2024April 23October 18
2025April 18October 17
2026May 4season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 173 days between the 50% dates in Buckhannon, West Virginia, frame the period when light frosts are equally likely to have passed or to arrive. The 50% date is April 29 in spring, indicating a 50% chance a 32 °F frost will occur later, and the 50% date is October 20 in fall, indicating a 50% chance a 32 °F frost will have occurred earlier. Gardeners can view this span as the core window for tender crops.

For a low-risk schedule, the cautious spring date is May 16, when only a 10% chance remains of a later light frost, while the cautious fall date is October 6, when there is only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. The hard-frost 50% dates are April 15 and October 31; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissue more severely than a light frost at 32 °F, so it is a more critical threshold for tender vegetation.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 16" 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 Buckhannon, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Elkins, WV — 21 mi; 2 — Parsons, WV — 32 mi; 3 — Glenville, WV — 33 mi; 4 — Fairmont, WV — 33 mi; 5 — near Sutton, WV — 34 mi.OHVAMDPA25 mi · 40 km1. Elkins, WV — 21 mi12. Parsons, WV — 32 mi23. Glenville, WV — 33 mi34. Fairmont, WV — 33 mi45. near Sutton, WV — 34 mi5
  1. Elkins, WV 21 mi (33 km)
  2. Parsons, WV 32 mi (52 km)
  3. Glenville, WV 33 mi (53 km)
  4. Fairmont, WV 33 mi (54 km)
  5. near Sutton, WV 34 mi (54 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: 38.9803, -80.22.