USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 24219 — Big Stone Gap, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Big Stone Gap, VA (1,466 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Big Stone Gap, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Big Stone Gap, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 186 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 6
- Last snow
- February 18
- Winters with snow
- 93%
- Snow per year
- 9.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Big Stone Gap
Half of springs at Big Stone Gap, VA see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 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 October 23 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 206 days one year in ten and falls short of 166 one year in ten. On average 108 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 May 1, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and February 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Big Stone Gap, 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 24219 →Compare Big Stone Gap with another place →
Weather by month in Big Stone Gap
July is the warmest month at Big Stone Gap, VA, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,474 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 67% of the 128 Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,254) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 728. Precipitation totals 56.1 inches a year, most in July (5.5") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 24 | 4.9 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 5.0 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Mar | 57 | 33 | 5.4 | 100% | 16 | 53 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 5.0 | 92% | 6 | 180 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 5.1 | 19% | <1 | 400 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 606 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 728 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 702 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 515 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 3.1 | 79% | 4 | 216 |
| Nov | 57 | 32 | 3.7 | 100% | 16 | 48 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 5.5 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Big Stone Gap, VA (1,466 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, Wise 1SE, VA, 14 miles northeast of Big Stone Gap and 1,098 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days later (April 25), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 18), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Big Stone Gap, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Big Stone Gap usually arrives around January 6, and the last of the season around February 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Big Stone Gap, VA, 1.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 93% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 61 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24219
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 24219 is 2 miles from Big Stone Gap, VA, which stands at 1,466 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 24219 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.