USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 22827 — Elkton, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Big Meadows, VA (3,540 ft), 13 miles northeast.
Updated
In Elkton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 169 days (NOAA, Big Meadows, VA).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 169 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 1
- Last snow
- March 29
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elkton
Half of springs at Big Meadows, VA see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 19 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 169 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 192 days one year in ten and falls short of 145 one year in ten. On average 136 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 10 days longer, to about May 11, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Big Meadows, 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 22827 →Compare Elkton with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Elkton
In Elkton, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 19 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 3, 137 days later; that gap is shorter than at 96% of the 128 Virginia stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 33 days (April 16 to May 19) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 30 days (October 3 to November 2): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Dale Enterprise, VA, 17 miles west, the same gap runs from May 7 to October 9, 18 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 17 | 88% | 60% |
| Apr 24 | 73% | 40% |
| May 150% date | 50% | 28% |
| May 8 | 30% | 16% |
| May 15 | 16% | under 10% |
| May 22 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Elkton
July is the warmest month at Big Meadows, VA, averaging 75°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 19°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,121 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 128 Virginia stations. 32% of them (674) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 528.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 19 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Feb | 38 | 22 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| Mar | 44 | 27 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 99% | 11 | 79 |
| May | 64 | 46 | 52% | 3 | 205 |
| Jun | 70 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 372 |
| Jul | 75 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 528 |
| Aug | 73 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 468 |
| Sep | 69 | 52 | 5% | <1 | 323 |
| Oct | 58 | 42 | 85% | 8 | 103 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 100% | 17 | 20 |
| Dec | 40 | 24 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Big Meadows, VA (3,540 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, Dale Enterprise, VA, 17 miles west of Elkton and 2,182 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (April 21), a first frost 4 days later (October 23), a season 13 days longer.
When it snows in Elkton, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elkton usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Big Meadows, VA, 13.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 22827
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 22827 is 13 miles from Big Meadows, VA, which stands at 3,540 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 22827 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.
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.