USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 23847 — Emporia, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Emporia 1 WNW, VA (100 ft), under a mile north.
Updated
In Emporia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Emporia 1 WNW, VA).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 221 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
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Emporia
Half of springs at Emporia 1 WNW, VA see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 14 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 6 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 221 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 243 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 83 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 14 days longer, to about April 14, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Emporia 1 WNW, 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 23847 →Compare Emporia with another place →
Weather by month in Emporia
July is the warmest month at Emporia 1 WNW, VA, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 29°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 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,675 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 128 Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,729) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 916. Precipitation totals 46.4 inches a year, most in August (5.1") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 3.4 | 100% | 22 | 23 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 2.6 | 100% | 19 | 26 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 4.1 | 98% | 11 | 102 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 3.4 | 49% | 1 | 282 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 535 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 870 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 664 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.5 | 23% | 1 | 348 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.2 | 95% | 10 | 111 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 3.6 | 99% | 19 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Emporia 1 WNW, VA (100 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, Lawrenceville 3 E, VA, 14 miles northwest of Emporia and 225 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days later (April 7), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 31), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Emporia, Virginia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Emporia 1 WNW, VA, 0.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 23847
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 23847 is under a mile from Emporia 1 WNW, VA, which stands at 100 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 23847 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.