USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 23881 — Spring Grove, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Disputanta, VA (130 ft), 12 miles southwest.
Updated
In Spring Grove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Disputanta, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 206 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 Spring Grove
Half of springs at Disputanta, VA see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 24 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 1 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 70% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 96 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 10 days longer, to about April 20, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 |
| 20°F | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Disputanta, 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 23881 →Compare Spring Grove with another place →
Weather by month in Spring Grove
July is the warmest month at Disputanta, VA, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°F and 27°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 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,343 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 128 Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,609) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 886. Precipitation totals 50.1 inches a year, most in July (5.8") 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 | 48 | 27 | 3.5 | 100% | 23 | 17 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 3.0 | 100% | 21 | 30 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 3.9 | 99% | 15 | 91 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 3.8 | 80% | 4 | 254 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.1 | 5% | <1 | 494 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 723 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 886 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 612 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.9 | 44% | 2 | 301 |
| Nov | 60 | 37 | 3.3 | 99% | 13 | 80 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 3.7 | 99% | 19 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Disputanta, VA (130 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, Norfolk Rich, VA, 14 miles south of Spring Grove, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 6), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Spring Grove, Virginia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hopewell, VA, 17.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 23881
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 23881 is 12 miles from Disputanta, VA, which stands at 130 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 23842 (Disputanta). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 23881 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.