U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00468662 · West Virginia

Frost Dates near Sutton, WV

NOAA weather station Sutton Lake (USC00468662), West Virginia · elevation 868 ft (265 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

Sutton is the nearest town to the station (0.8 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 11only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season187 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Sutton, WVSpring: a frost after April 7 in 9 years out of 10, after April 22 in half of the years, after May 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 187 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 22First frost ~Oct 28Frost season near Sutton, WVSpring: a frost after April 7 in 9 years out of 10, after April 22 in half of the years, after May 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 187 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 22First frost ~Oct 28
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 11October 14
50% (typical)April 22October 28
90% (likely)April 7November 7
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
187 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 8
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 20 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 29 (1 day later). Frost-free season 189 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 near Sutton: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 11, 20% May 5, 30% April 30, 40% April 26, 50% April 22, 60% April 19, 70% April 16, 80% April 13, 90% April 7. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2022 April 29, 2023 April 26, 2024 April 23, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 4.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 11Apr 22Apr 72022: April 292023: April 262024: April 232025: April 182026: May 4Fall near Sutton: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 14, 20% October 20, 30% October 23, 40% October 26, 50% October 28, 60% October 30, 70% November 1, 80% November 3, 90% November 7. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 5, 2022 October 20, 2023 November 1, 2024 October 26.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 14Oct 28Nov 72021: November 52022: October 202023: November 12024: October 26
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 5
2022April 29October 20
2023April 26November 1
2024April 23October 26
2025April 18incomplete record
2026May 4season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 187 days between the 32°F 50% dates — April 22 in spring and October 28 in fall — define the interval in which tender crops can be grown without a 50 % chance of a light frost arriving.

For a cautious approach, gardeners should wait until the spring cautious date of May 11, which carries only a 10 % chance of a frost later, before setting out tender varieties. The early spring gamble of April 7 has a 90 % chance of a frost later, so planting then carries high risk. In the autumn, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 14, when there is only a 10 % chance a frost has already occurred. Extending to the late-season gamble of November 7 brings a 90 % chance of an earlier frost.

A hard frost at 28 °F, such as the median dates of April 8 and November 5, can kill plants that survive a light 32 °F frost, making it a greater threat.

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 14" 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 Sutton, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Gassaway, WV — 4 mi; 2 — Glenville, WV — 20 mi; 3 — Buckhannon, WV — 34 mi; 4 — Spencer, WV — 37 mi; 5 — Snowshoe, WV — 42 mi.VA25 mi · 40 km1. Gassaway, WV — 4 mi12. Glenville, WV — 20 mi23. Buckhannon, WV — 34 mi34. Spencer, WV — 37 mi45. Snowshoe, WV — 42 mi5
  1. Gassaway, WV 4 mi (6 km)
  2. Glenville, WV 20 mi (33 km)
  3. Buckhannon, WV 34 mi (54 km)
  4. Spencer, WV 37 mi (60 km)
  5. Snowshoe, WV 42 mi (68 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: 38.6603, -80.6964.