USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 22844 — New Market, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Edinburg, VA (928 ft), 11 miles north.
Updated
In New Market, 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 19, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, Edinburg, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 174 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 8
- Last snow
- March 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 21"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in New Market
Half of springs at Edinburg, 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 13 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 132 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 5, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Edinburg, 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 22844 →Compare New Market with another place →
Weather by month in New Market
July is the warmest month at Edinburg, VA, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,211 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 128 Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,116) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 733. Precipitation totals 37.3 inches a year, most in June (4.3") and least in February (1.8"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 21 | 2.4 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
| Feb | 46 | 23 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
| Mar | 54 | 29 | 2.9 | 100% | 21 | 33 |
| Apr | 65 | 38 | 3.1 | 98% | 8 | 135 |
| May | 74 | 49 | 4.0 | 35% | 1 | 350 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 587 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Sep | 78 | 53 | 3.7 | 1% | 0 | 463 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 2.6 | 92% | 6 | 173 |
| Nov | 56 | 31 | 2.3 | 100% | 18 | 35 |
| Dec | 46 | 24 | 2.7 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Edinburg, VA (928 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, Big Meadows, VA, 15 miles southeast of New Market and 2,612 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days later (May 1), the same first-frost date, a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in New Market, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in New Market usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Edinburg, VA, 11.2 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 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 22844
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 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 22844 is 11 miles from Edinburg, VA, which stands at 928 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 22824 (Edinburg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 22844 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.