USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 22958 — Nellysford, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Waynesboro Wtp, VA (1,270 ft), 12 miles north.
Updated
In Nellysford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Waynesboro Wtp, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 184 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 6
- Last snow
- March 1
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nellysford
Half of springs at Waynesboro Wtp, VA see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 18 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 204 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 120 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 2, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 16 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Waynesboro Wtp, 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 22958 →Compare Nellysford with another place →
Weather by month in Nellysford
July is the warmest month at Waynesboro Wtp, VA, averaging 86°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 23°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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,419 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 128 Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,213) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 759. Precipitation totals 45.4 inches a year, most in September (5.5") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 3.2 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 2.8 | 100% | 24 | 10 |
| Mar | 55 | 31 | 4.1 | 100% | 19 | 46 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 3.9 | 93% | 6 | 161 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 3.6 | 28% | 1 | 380 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 610 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 759 |
| Aug | 85 | 61 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 481 |
| Oct | 68 | 43 | 3.4 | 79% | 3 | 198 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 4.0 | 100% | 18 | 43 |
| Dec | 47 | 27 | 3.0 | 100% | 24 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Waynesboro Wtp, VA (1,270 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, Montebello Fish Cultural Stn, VA, 13 miles west of Nellysford and 1,397 feet higher, has a last frost 11 days later (May 2), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 13), a season 22 days shorter.
When it snows in Nellysford, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Nellysford usually arrives around January 6, and the last of the season around March 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Waynesboro Wtp, VA, 12.2 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 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 22958
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 22958 is 12 miles from Waynesboro Wtp, VA, which stands at 1,270 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 22980 (Waynesboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 22958 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.