USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 24015 — Roanoke, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Roanoke Regional Airport, VA (1,175 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Roanoke, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Roanoke Regional Airport, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 210 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
- December 23
- Last snow
- March 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 14.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Roanoke
Half of springs at Roanoke Regional Airport, VA see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 19, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 18 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% 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 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 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 7, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 210 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 77 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 17, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Roanoke Regional Airport, 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 24015 →Compare Roanoke with another place →
Weather by month in Roanoke
July is the warmest month at Roanoke Regional Airport, VA, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,276 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 72% of the 128 Virginia stations. 38% of them (1,614) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 860. Precipitation totals 43.0 inches a year, most in June (4.7") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 29 | 3.2 | 100% | 21 | 15 |
| Feb | 51 | 31 | 2.9 | 100% | 17 | 23 |
| Mar | 59 | 38 | 3.5 | 98% | 10 | 98 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.5 | 60% | 1 | 265 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.3 | 2% | 0 | 500 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 714 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 860 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Sep | 80 | 59 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 587 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 3.0 | 46% | 1 | 294 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 3.0 | 98% | 9 | 85 |
| Dec | 50 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 18 | 23 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Roanoke Regional Airport, VA (1,175 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, Roanoke 8 N, VA, 7 miles north of Roanoke, has a last frost 8 days later (April 11), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 28), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Roanoke, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Roanoke usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around March 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Roanoke Regional Airport, VA, 4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24015
| 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 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 24015 is 4 miles from Roanoke Regional Airport, VA, which stands at 1,175 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 24018 (Roanoke). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24015 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.