USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 24348 — Independence, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elk Creek 4SSW, VA (3,439 ft), 4 miles northwest.
Updated
In Independence, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, Elk Creek 4SSW, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 193 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 17
- Last snow
- March 3
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 18.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Independence
Half of springs at Elk Creek 4SSW, VA see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 2. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 2 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 59% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 27 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 89 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 April 28, and return around October 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 5 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elk Creek 4SSW, 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 24348 →Compare Independence with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Sparta 3.5 SSW, NC, 12 miles south of Independence and 428 feet lower, has a last frost 6 days later (April 22), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 22), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Independence, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Independence usually arrives around December 17, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sparta 3.5 SSW, NC, 11.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24348
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 24348 is 4 miles from Elk Creek 4SSW, VA, which stands at 3,439 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24348 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.