USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 23002 — Amelia Court House, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Amelia Courthouse, VA (345 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Amelia Court House, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Amelia Courthouse, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 209 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
- December 28
- Last snow
- February 23
- Winters with snow
- 89%
- Snow per year
- 8.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Amelia Court House
Half of springs at Amelia Courthouse, VA see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 21, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 2 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 92 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 12 days longer, to about April 19, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Amelia Courthouse, 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 23002 →Compare Amelia Court House with another place →
Weather by month in Amelia Court House
July is the warmest month at Amelia Courthouse, VA, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 28°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 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,398 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 80% of the 128 Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,643) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 885. Precipitation totals 45.4 inches a year, most in March (4.4") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 3.7 | 100% | 23 | 20 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 2.9 | 100% | 19 | 23 |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 4.4 | 99% | 14 | 96 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 3.4 | 68% | 3 | 270 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.3 | 4% | 0 | 500 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.8 | 39% | 2 | 302 |
| Nov | 61 | 37 | 3.4 | 100% | 12 | 99 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 3.9 | 100% | 20 | 32 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Amelia Courthouse, VA (345 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, Fort Pickett, VA, 21 miles south of Amelia Court House, has a last frost 4 days later (April 11), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 30), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Amelia Court House, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Amelia Court House usually arrives around December 28, and the last of the season around February 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Amelia Courthouse, VA, 1.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 23002
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 23002 is 1 mile from Amelia Courthouse, VA, which stands at 345 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 23120 (Moseley). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 23002 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.