USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 24609 — Cedar Bluff, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Richlands, VA (1,910 ft), 3 miles northwest.
Updated
In Cedar Bluff, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Richlands, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 173 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 8
- Last snow
- March 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 17.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cedar Bluff
Half of springs at Richlands, VA see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 14 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 18 in half of years, as early as October 5 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 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 173 days in a typical year, shorter than at 89% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 126 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 10 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Richlands, 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 24609 →Compare Cedar Bluff with another place →
Weather by month in Cedar Bluff
July is the warmest month at Richlands, VA, averaging 83°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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,209 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 128 Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,138) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 693. Precipitation totals 44.8 inches a year, most in July (4.8") and least in October (2.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 3.4 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 9 |
| Mar | 56 | 31 | 4.0 | 100% | 18 | 44 |
| Apr | 66 | 39 | 4.0 | 98% | 9 | 150 |
| May | 74 | 49 | 4.5 | 38% | 1 | 361 |
| Jun | 80 | 57 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 693 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 665 |
| Sep | 78 | 53 | 3.4 | 3% | 0 | 474 |
| Oct | 68 | 41 | 2.7 | 88% | 7 | 185 |
| Nov | 57 | 31 | 2.8 | 100% | 19 | 42 |
| Dec | 48 | 26 | 3.8 | 100% | 24 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Richlands, VA (1,910 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, Saltville 1N, VA, 11 miles south of Cedar Bluff and 177 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 23), a first frost 2 days later (October 20), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Cedar Bluff, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cedar Bluff usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Richlands, VA, 2.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 47 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24609
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 24609 is 3 miles from Richlands, VA, which stands at 1,910 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24609 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.