U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00446475 · Virginia

Frost Dates for Painter, VA

NOAA weather station Painter 2 W (USC00446475), Virginia · elevation 30 ft (9 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 19only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season216 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Painter, VASpring: a frost after March 21 in 9 years out of 10, after April 4 in half of the years, after April 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 26 in 1 year out of 10, before November 7 in half of the years, before November 21 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 216 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 4First frost ~Nov 7Frost season at Painter, VASpring: a frost after March 21 in 9 years out of 10, after April 4 in half of the years, after April 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 26 in 1 year out of 10, before November 7 in half of the years, before November 21 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 216 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 4First frost ~Nov 7
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)April 19October 26
50% (typical)April 4November 7
90% (likely)March 21November 21
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
216 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 23
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 20

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 6 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 9 (2 days later). Frost-free season 217 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 Painter: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 19, 20% April 14, 30% April 10, 40% April 7, 50% April 4, 60% April 2, 70% March 30, 80% March 27, 90% March 21. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 March 30, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 26, 2025 April 9, 2026 April 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 19Apr 4Mar 212021: April 32022: March 302023: March 212024: March 262025: April 92026: April 21Fall at Painter: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 26, 20% October 30, 30% November 2, 40% November 4, 50% November 7, 60% November 10, 70% November 12, 80% November 16, 90% November 21. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 14, 2022 November 15, 2023 November 3, 2024 December 1, 2025 November 14.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 26Nov 7Nov 212021: November 142022: November 152023: November 32024: December 12025: November 14
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 3November 14
2022March 30November 15
2023March 21November 3
2024March 26December 1
2025April 9November 14
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

Painter enjoys a 216-day span between the 32°F 50% dates, marking the period in which most growing activities occur. The spring light-frost 50% date is April 4, indicating an even chance that a frost will come later, while the fall light-frost 50% date is November 7, indicating an even chance that a frost will have arrived earlier. Hard-frost 50% dates fall on March 23 in spring and November 20 in fall, highlighting when a 28°F event is equally likely to have occurred.

For a cautious approach, tender crops are typically set out after the April 19 spring date, which carries only a 10 % chance of a later frost, and are harvested before the October 26 fall date, which also carries a 10 % chance of an earlier frost. Planting on March 21 or extending harvest to November 21 would be a gamble, as each of those dates bears a 90 % chance of frost.

A hard frost at 28°F poses a greater threat to plant tissue than a light frost at 32°F because the lower temperature causes more severe cellular damage.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 19" 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 26" 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 Painter, VANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA — 31 mi; 2 — Snow Hill, MD — 51 mi; 3 — Norfolk, VA — 51 mi; 4 — Williamsburg, VA — 52 mi; 5 — West Point, VA — 54 mi.VAMD25 mi · 40 km1. Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA — 31 mi12. Snow Hill, MD — 51 mi23. Norfolk, VA — 51 mi34. Williamsburg, VA — 52 mi45. West Point, VA — 54 mi5
  1. Wallops Island Flight Fac, VA 31 mi (51 km)
  2. Snow Hill, MD 51 mi (82 km)
  3. Norfolk, VA 51 mi (83 km)
  4. Williamsburg, VA 52 mi (84 km)
  5. West Point, VA 54 mi (86 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.5844, -75.8217.