Skip to content

USDA Hardiness Zone 7a

Frost Dates for 22624 — Clear Brook, Virginia

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Winchester 7 SE, VA (680 ft), 6 miles south.

Updated

In Clear Brook, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, Winchester 7 SE, VA).

Last spring frost
April 25

50% probability

First fall frost
October 18

50% probability

Growing season
174 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7a

0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night

First snow
December 25

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 4

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
96%

25 of 26 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Clear Brook

Half of springs at Winchester 7 SE, VA see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 52% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 174 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 126 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 11 days longer, to about May 6, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 8.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 23Apr 27Apr 30May 2May 6May 10May 13May 18May 24
32°FApr 11Apr 16Apr 19Apr 22Apr 25Apr 28May 2May 6May 13
28°FMar 30Apr 2Apr 6Apr 9Apr 12Apr 15Apr 18Apr 22Apr 27
24°FMar 16Mar 22Mar 26Mar 30Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 8Apr 14
20°FMar 4Mar 10Mar 14Mar 17Mar 21Mar 24Mar 28Mar 31Apr 2
16°FFeb 16Feb 25Mar 1Mar 5Mar 8Mar 12Mar 16Mar 19Mar 25
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8
16°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 20Dec 28

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Winchester 7 SE, 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 22624 →Compare Clear Brook with another place →

Weather by month in Clear Brook

July is the warmest month at Winchester 7 SE, VA, averaging 87°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 33% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,371 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 73% of the 128 Virginia stations. 34% of them (1,161) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 773. Precipitation totals 39.9 inches a year, most in September (4.4") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 50% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Winchester 7 SE, VA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan42212.5100%266
Feb45232.2100%236
Mar53293.4100%2033
Apr66383.299%8144
May74493.933%1365
Jun83584.00%0609
Jul87633.80%0773
Aug86613.70%0719
Sep79544.40%0484
Oct67413.187%5183
Nov56322.9100%1741
Dec46252.8100%249

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Winchester 7 SE, VA (680 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, Winchester, VA, 6 miles southwest of Clear Brook, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 11 days later (October 29), a season 26 days longer.

Frost dates for 22602 (Winchester) →

When it snows in Clear Brook, Virginia

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Clear Brook usually arrives around December 25, and the last of the season around March 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Winchester 7 SE, VA, 5.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 52 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 22624

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Clear Brook, Virginia
WhenWhat to do
February 14 – February 28Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 28 – March 14Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 28 – April 11Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 25 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 26Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 4Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 18 onwardPlant 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 22624 is 6 miles from Winchester 7 SE, VA, which stands at 680 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 22611 (Berryville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 22624 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.

Frost dates across Virginia →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 7a places in Virginia