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USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

Frost Dates for 24563 — Hurt, Virginia

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA (940 ft), 18 miles north.

Updated

In Hurt, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 191 days (NOAA, Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA).

Last spring frost
April 15

50% probability

First fall frost
October 24

50% probability

Growing season
191 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7b

5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night

First snow
December 26

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 4

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
93%

28 of 30 observed

Snow per year
11.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Hurt

Half of springs at Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 52% of the 128 Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 18 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 211 days one year in ten and falls short of 169 one year in ten. On average 95 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 13 days longer, to about April 28, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 17 and February 24.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 13Apr 17Apr 21Apr 25Apr 28May 1May 5May 9May 15
32°FMar 30Apr 4Apr 8Apr 12Apr 15Apr 18Apr 21Apr 27May 3
28°FMar 16Mar 21Mar 26Mar 29Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7Apr 10Apr 15
24°FMar 3Mar 9Mar 14Mar 18Mar 21Mar 24Mar 28Mar 31Apr 5
20°FFeb 15Feb 23Feb 28Mar 4Mar 7Mar 11Mar 15Mar 19Mar 25
16°FJan 27Feb 4Feb 10Feb 17Feb 24Feb 28Mar 4Mar 10Mar 17
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
32°FOct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
24°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 2
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 22
16°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23Dec 28Jan 3Jan 11

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lynchburg 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 24563 →Compare Hurt with another place →

Weather by month in Hurt

July is the warmest month at Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA, averaging 87°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 85% of years and May still brings one in 14% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,846 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 128 Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,419) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 804. Precipitation totals 42.9 inches a year, most in July (4.2") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 45% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan46263.5100%2310
Feb50282.9100%1914
Mar58353.8100%1374
Apr69443.585%3221
May76534.014%<1442
Jun83613.80%0659
Jul87654.20%0804
Aug85643.20%0759
Sep79574.00%0540
Oct69453.175%2243
Nov58353.4100%1365
Dec49293.5100%2117

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA (940 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, Chatham, VA, 18 miles south of Hurt and 293 feet lower, has a last frost 7 days later (April 22), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 23), a season 8 days shorter.

Frost dates for 24531 (Chatham) →

When it snows in Hurt, Virginia

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hurt usually arrives around December 26, and the last of the season around March 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA, 17.9 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 42 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 24563

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Hurt, Virginia
WhenWhat to do
February 4 – February 18Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 18 – March 4Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 18 – April 1Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 15 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 1Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 10Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 24 onwardPlant 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 24563 is 18 miles from Lynchburg Regional Airport, VA, which stands at 940 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 24588 (Rustburg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24563 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.

Frost dates across Virginia →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 7b places in Virginia