USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 23102 — Maidens, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Crozier, VA (350 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Maidens, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 191 days (NOAA, Crozier, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 191 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
- January 3
- Last snow
- March 2
- Winters with snow
- 90%
- Snow per year
- 10.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Maidens
Half of springs at Crozier, VA see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 8 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 27 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 107 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 29, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 22 and February 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 10 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 26 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Crozier, 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 23102 →Compare Maidens with another place →
Weather by month in Maidens
July is the warmest month at Crozier, VA, averaging 87°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 88% of years and May still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,864 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 128 Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,391) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 817. Precipitation totals 44.9 inches a year, most in September (4.6") 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 | 46 | 26 | 3.3 | 100% | 24 | 13 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 2.8 | 100% | 21 | 16 |
| Mar | 57 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 66 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 4.1 | 88% | 4 | 208 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.2 | 20% | <1 | 425 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 552 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 70% | 3 | 243 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 3.3 | 100% | 15 | 66 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 100% | 23 | 20 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Crozier, VA (350 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, Ashland, VA, 19 miles east of Maidens, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 2 days later (October 29), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Maidens, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Maidens usually arrives around January 3, and the last of the season around March 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Crozier, VA, 4.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 90% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 23102
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 23102 is 4 miles from Crozier, VA, which stands at 350 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 23139 (Powhatan). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 23102 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.