USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 22435 — Callao, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Warsaw 2 NW, VA (140 ft), 12 miles west.
Updated
In Callao, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 8 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 204 days (NOAA, Warsaw 2 NW, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 8
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 204 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 25
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 11.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Callao
Half of springs at Warsaw 2 NW, VA see their last 32°F night by April 8; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 204 days in a typical year, longer than at 64% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 223 days one year in ten and falls short of 183 one year in ten. On average 77 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 14 days longer, to about April 22, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Warsaw 2 NW, VA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 22435 →Compare Callao with another place →
Weather by month in Callao
July is the warmest month at Warsaw 2 NW, VA, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 29°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,351 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 128 Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,617) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 876. Precipitation totals 45.3 inches a year, most in August (5.0") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 29 | 3.0 | 100% | 20 | 20 |
| Feb | 50 | 30 | 2.6 | 100% | 17 | 25 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 3.7 | 99% | 12 | 91 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.2 | 77% | 2 | 261 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 3.9 | 4% | 0 | 503 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Sep | 80 | 60 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Oct | 70 | 49 | 4.0 | 55% | 1 | 308 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 3.3 | 99% | 8 | 103 |
| Dec | 50 | 32 | 3.3 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Warsaw 2 NW, VA (140 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, St Inigoes Webster Nolf, MD, 12 miles northeast of Callao, has a last frost 9 days earlier (March 30), a first frost 15 days later (November 14), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Callao, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Callao usually arrives around December 25, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Warsaw 2 NW, VA, 11.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 42 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 22435
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 28 – February 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 22435 is 12 miles from Warsaw 2 NW, VA, which stands at 140 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 22443 (Colonial Beach). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 22435 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.