U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00467552 · West Virginia

Frost Dates for Ripley, WV

NOAA weather station Ripley (USC00467552), West Virginia · elevation 608 ft (185 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 11only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season178 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Ripley, WVSpring: a frost after April 10 in 9 years out of 10, after April 23 in half of the years, after May 11 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: 178 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 23First frost ~Oct 21Frost season at Ripley, WVSpring: a frost after April 10 in 9 years out of 10, after April 23 in half of the years, after May 11 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: 178 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 23First 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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 11October 8
50% (typical)April 23October 21
90% (likely)April 10November 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
178 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 10
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 31

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 21 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 24 (3 days later). Frost-free season 185 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 Ripley: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 11, 20% May 4, 30% April 30, 40% April 27, 50% April 23, 60% April 21, 70% April 18, 80% April 15, 90% April 10. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2023 April 26, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 7.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 11Apr 23Apr 102023: April 262024: April 252025: April 182026: May 7Fall at Ripley: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 8, 20% October 12, 30% October 15, 40% October 18, 50% October 21, 60% October 24, 70% October 27, 80% October 29, 90% November 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 10, 2023 October 24, 2024 October 18, 2025 October 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 8Oct 21Nov 22021: November 42022: October 102023: October 242024: October 182025: October 25
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
2021incomplete recordNovember 4
2022incomplete recordOctober 10
2023April 26October 24
2024April 25October 18
2025April 18October 25
2026May 7season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on the early spring date, April 10, carries a 90% chance of a frost later that season, making it a gamble for Ripley gardeners.

The cautious spring date is May 11, when only a 10% chance of a later frost remains. The median light-frost date, April 23, marks a 50% chance of a frost later; it is not itself a frost date. In fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 8, with only a 10% chance that frost has arrived earlier. The median light-frost date, October 21, represents a 50% chance of a frost earlier and is likewise not a frost date.

Hard-frost dates, April 10 in spring and October 31 in fall, denote when a 28 °F frost has a 50% chance, and such a temperature can damage plant tissue more severely than a light 32 °F 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 11" 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 Ripley, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Spencer, WV — 19 mi; 2 — near Winfield, WV — 23 mi; 3 — Gallipolis, OH — 25 mi; 4 — Hogsett RC Byrd Dam, WV — 27 mi; 5 — near Charleston, WV — 31 mi.WVOHKY25 mi · 40 km1. Spencer, WV — 19 mi12. near Winfield, WV — 23 mi23. Gallipolis, OH — 25 mi34. Hogsett RC Byrd Dam, WV — 27 mi45. near Charleston, WV — 31 mi5
  1. Spencer, WV 19 mi (31 km)
  2. near Winfield, WV 23 mi (37 km)
  3. Gallipolis, OH 25 mi (41 km)
  4. Hogsett RC Byrd Dam, WV 27 mi (44 km)
  5. near Charleston, WV 31 mi (50 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: 38.8172, -81.7117.