USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 23831 — Chester, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Petersburg, VA (19 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In Chester, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Petersburg, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 216 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 45%
- Snow per year
- 3.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chester
Half of springs at Petersburg, VA see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 17 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 3 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 236 days one year in ten and falls short of 196 one year in ten. On average 85 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 13 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 90%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F90% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F90% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Petersburg, 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 23831 →Compare Chester with another place →
Weather by month in Chester
July is the warmest month at Petersburg, VA, averaging 89°F by day and 69°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 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,497 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 128 Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,669) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 904. Precipitation totals 47.0 inches a year, most in August (5.3") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 3.0 | 100% | 22 | 21 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 2.7 | 100% | 20 | 27 |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 4.4 | 98% | 12 | 98 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.6 | 57% | 1 | 263 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 4.4 | 3% | 0 | 515 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.4 | 36% | 1 | 316 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 3.2 | 98% | 10 | 96 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 3.5 | 99% | 19 | 30 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Petersburg, VA (19 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, Hopewell, VA, 10 miles east of Chester, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 31), a first frost 3 days later (November 6), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Chester, Virginia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hopewell, VA, 9.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 23831
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 23831 is 8 miles from Petersburg, VA, which stands at 19 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 23832 (Chesterfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 23831 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.