U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00013741 · Virginia

Frost Dates for Roanoke, VA

NOAA weather station Roanoke Regional Airport (USW00013741), Virginia · elevation 1175 ft (358 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 18only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season210 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Roanoke, VASpring: a frost after March 19 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 18 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 210 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Nov 1Frost season at Roanoke, VASpring: a frost after March 19 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 18 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 210 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Nov 1
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 18October 18
50% (typical)April 3November 1
90% (likely)March 19November 15
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
210 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 22
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 12

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 4 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 2 (1 day later). Frost-free season 213 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 Roanoke: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 18, 20% April 13, 30% April 9, 40% April 6, 50% April 3, 60% April 1, 70% March 29, 80% March 25, 90% March 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 April 2, 2023 April 9, 2024 March 25, 2025 April 9, 2026 April 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 18Apr 3Mar 192021: April 32022: April 22023: April 92024: March 252025: April 92026: April 21Fall at Roanoke: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 18, 20% October 24, 30% October 27, 40% October 30, 50% November 1, 60% November 4, 70% November 6, 80% November 10, 90% November 15. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 November 14, 2023 November 1, 2024 November 27, 2025 October 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 18Nov 1Nov 152021: November 32022: November 142023: November 12024: November 272025: 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
2021April 3November 3
2022April 2November 14
2023April 9November 1
2024March 25November 27
2025April 9October 25
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 18 marks the cautious spring date in Roanoke, with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, so a gardener can set out tender crops with minimal risk.

The 50 % light-frost dates are April 3 in spring and November 1 in fall; at each of these points there is an even chance of a frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall). The cautious fall date is October 18, when there is just a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, giving a reliable deadline to finish harvesting tender crops. The 50 % hard-frost dates are March 22 in spring and November 12 in fall, indicating the median odds for temperatures to reach 28 °F.

A hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that would survive a light 32 °F frost, making it a more critical temperature threshold.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 18" 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 18" 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 Roanoke, VANumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Blacksburg, VA — 25 mi; 2 — Christiansburg, VA — 27 mi; 3 — Covington, VA — 34 mi; 4 — White Sulphur Springs, WV — 37 mi; 5 — Pearisburg, VA — 39 mi.WV25 mi · 40 km1. near Blacksburg, VA — 25 mi12. Christiansburg, VA — 27 mi23. Covington, VA — 34 mi34. White Sulphur Springs, WV — 37 mi45. Pearisburg, VA — 39 mi5
  1. near Blacksburg, VA 25 mi (41 km)
  2. Christiansburg, VA 27 mi (43 km)
  3. Covington, VA 34 mi (55 km)
  4. White Sulphur Springs, WV 37 mi (60 km)
  5. Pearisburg, VA 39 mi (63 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 37.3169, -79.9742.