U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00442208 · Virginia

Frost Dates for Dale Enterprise, VA

NOAA weather station Dale Enterprise (USC00442208), Virginia · elevation 1358 ft (414 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season182 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Dale Enterprise, VASpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 9 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 23Frost season at Dale Enterprise, VASpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 9 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 23
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 7October 9
50% (typical)April 21October 23
90% (likely)April 9November 3
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
182 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 20 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (2 days later). Frost-free season 186 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 Dale Enterprise: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 7, 20% May 2, 30% April 28, 40% April 24, 50% April 21, 60% April 19, 70% April 16, 80% April 13, 90% April 9. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 24, 2022 April 30, 2023 April 26, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 14, 2026 May 8.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 7Apr 21Apr 92021: April 242022: April 302023: April 262024: April 222025: April 142026: May 8Fall at Dale Enterprise: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 9, 20% October 13, 30% October 17, 40% October 20, 50% October 23, 60% October 25, 70% October 27, 80% October 31, 90% November 3. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 19, 2024 October 28, 2025 October 21.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 9Oct 23Nov 32021: November 32022: October 92023: October 192024: October 282025: 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
2022April 30October 9
2023April 26October 19
2024April 22October 28
2025April 14October 21
2026May 8season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 7 is the cautious spring date for tender crops in Dale Enterprise; it marks a point when there is only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, allowing gardeners to set out vulnerable plants with confidence. The 50% spring light-frost date is April 21, meaning a 50 % chance of a frost later than this day, while the 50% fall light-frost date is October 23, meaning a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than this day.

For a low-risk fall schedule, the cautious date is October 9, when only a 10 % chance of a light frost has already arrived, so finishing harvest or planting hardy crops by then limits exposure. The hard-frost median dates are April 9 in spring and November 1 in fall; these are the points where a 28 °F frost is equally likely to have occurred or not. Hard frost matters more than a light frost because temperatures of 28 °F can injure plants that survive the milder 32 °F condition.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 7" 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 9" 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 Dale Enterprise, VANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Staunton, VA — 21 mi; 2 — Charlottesville, VA — 37 mi; 3 — Woodstock, VA — 40 mi; 4 — Bartow, WV — 46 mi; 5 — near Orange, VA — 47 mi.VAWV25 mi · 40 km1. Staunton, VA — 21 mi12. Charlottesville, VA — 37 mi23. Woodstock, VA — 40 mi34. Bartow, WV — 46 mi45. near Orange, VA — 47 mi5
  1. Staunton, VA 21 mi (34 km)
  2. Charlottesville, VA 37 mi (59 km)
  3. Woodstock, VA 40 mi (64 km)
  4. Bartow, WV 46 mi (73 km)
  5. near Orange, VA 47 mi (75 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: 38.4547, -78.9353.