USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 24340 — Glade Spring, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Saltville 1N, VA (1,733 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Glade Spring, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Saltville 1N, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 178 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
- December 26
- Last snow
- March 1
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 10.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Glade Spring
Half of springs at Saltville 1N, VA see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 48% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 20 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 121 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 12 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Saltville 1N, 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 24340 →Compare Glade Spring with another place →
Weather by month in Glade Spring
July is the warmest month at Saltville 1N, VA, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 23°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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,322 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 77% of the 128 Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,179) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 716. Precipitation totals 48.2 inches a year, most in July (5.1") and least in October (3.0"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 3.8 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 3.8 | 100% | 22 | 8 |
| Mar | 57 | 31 | 4.4 | 100% | 18 | 43 |
| Apr | 68 | 39 | 4.3 | 98% | 7 | 159 |
| May | 75 | 49 | 4.3 | 28% | 1 | 377 |
| Jun | 82 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 585 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.5 | 1% | 0 | 496 |
| Oct | 69 | 41 | 3.0 | 86% | 6 | 198 |
| Nov | 58 | 31 | 3.0 | 100% | 19 | 37 |
| Dec | 48 | 26 | 4.1 | 100% | 23 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Saltville 1N, VA (1,733 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, Abingdon 3S, VA, 13 miles southwest of Glade Spring and 192 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 21), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Glade Spring, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Glade Spring usually arrives around December 26, and the last of the season around March 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Saltville 1N, VA, 8.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 53 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24340
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 24340 is 8 miles from Saltville 1N, VA, which stands at 1,733 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 24354 (Marion). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24340 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.