USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 23875 — Prince George, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hopewell, VA (40 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Prince George, 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 222 days (NOAA, Hopewell, VA).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 222 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 Prince George
Half of springs at Hopewell, VA see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 14, 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 22 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 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 243 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 58 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 April 11, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 84%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 22 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hopewell, 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 23875 →Compare Prince George with another place →
Weather by month in Prince George
July is the warmest month at Hopewell, VA, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 31°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,945 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 128 Virginia stations. 38% of them (1,893) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 933. Precipitation totals 50.1 inches a year, most in August (5.6") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 30 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 3.0 | 100% | 14 | 41 |
| Mar | 62 | 40 | 4.0 | 96% | 7 | 132 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.8 | 46% | 1 | 333 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 572 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 784 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Sep | 82 | 63 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Oct | 73 | 51 | 3.7 | 23% | <1 | 376 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 3.4 | 95% | 6 | 137 |
| Dec | 53 | 35 | 3.8 | 99% | 13 | 49 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hopewell, VA (40 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, Petersburg, VA, 5 miles west of Prince George, has a last frost 3 days later (April 3), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 3), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Prince George, Virginia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hopewell, VA, 4.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 23875
| 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 23875 is 5 miles from Hopewell, VA, which stands at 40 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 23860 (Hopewell). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 23875 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.