USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 24549 — Dry Fork, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chatham, VA (647 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Dry Fork, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Chatham, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 183 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
- January 8
- Last snow
- February 21
- Winters with snow
- 80%
- Snow per year
- 5.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dry Fork
Half of springs at Chatham, VA see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 9 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 23 in half of years, as early as October 9 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 24, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 204 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 125 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 3, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chatham, 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 24549 →Compare Dry Fork with another place →
Weather by month in Dry Fork
July is the warmest month at Chatham, VA, averaging 86°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°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 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,686 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 128 Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,337) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 790. Precipitation totals 47.7 inches a year, most in September (5.0") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 24 | 4.2 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Feb | 51 | 26 | 2.8 | 100% | 23 | 13 |
| Mar | 59 | 32 | 4.0 | 100% | 18 | 63 |
| Apr | 69 | 41 | 3.9 | 95% | 8 | 196 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.5 | 25% | 1 | 416 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 640 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 790 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 5.0 | 0% | <1 | 524 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 3.5 | 78% | 6 | 223 |
| Nov | 59 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 19 | 52 |
| Dec | 50 | 27 | 3.8 | 100% | 24 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chatham, VA (647 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, Danville 2 SE, VA, 12 miles southeast of Dry Fork and 255 feet lower, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 9 days later (November 1), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Dry Fork, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Dry Fork usually arrives around January 8, and the last of the season around February 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Chatham, VA, 8.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 80% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 60 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24549
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 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 24549 is 9 miles from Chatham, VA, which stands at 647 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 24531 (Chatham). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24549 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.