USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 24620 — Hurley, Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Grundy, VA (1,157 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Hurley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 189 days (NOAA, Grundy, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 189 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 6
- Last snow
- March 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 16"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hurley
Half of springs at Grundy, VA see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 7 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year, shorter than at 61% of the 128 Virginia stations; it reaches 207 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 one year in ten. On average 112 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 9 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and February 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Grundy, 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 24620 →Compare Hurley with another place →
Weather by month in Hurley
July is the warmest month at Grundy, VA, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°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 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,356 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 128 Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,195) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 711. Precipitation totals 46.9 inches a year, most in July (5.7") and least in November (2.6"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 24 | 3.3 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Feb | 47 | 27 | 3.3 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
| Mar | 56 | 32 | 4.0 | 100% | 17 | 48 |
| Apr | 67 | 40 | 4.3 | 95% | 7 | 173 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.8 | 21% | <1 | 375 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 579 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 711 |
| Aug | 82 | 63 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 684 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 499 |
| Oct | 67 | 44 | 3.0 | 74% | 4 | 212 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 2.6 | 100% | 17 | 45 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Grundy, VA (1,157 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, Breaks Interstate Park, VA, 17 miles southwest of Hurley and 736 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day later (April 22), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 23), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Hurley, Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hurley usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Grundy, VA, 9.5 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24620
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 24620 is 10 miles from Grundy, VA, which stands at 1,157 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 24614 (Grundy). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24620 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.