USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 24801 — Welch, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elkhorn, WV (1,948 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Welch, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Elkhorn, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 175 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 13
- Last snow
- February 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 20"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Welch
Half of springs at Elkhorn, WV see their last 32°F night by April 24; 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 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 14 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 79% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 17 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 120 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 May 6, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 | May 19 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 2 | May 6 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elkhorn, WV, 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 24801 →Compare Welch with another place →
Weather by month in Welch
July is the warmest month at Elkhorn, WV, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,081 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,102) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 668.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 100% | 22 | 8 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 100% | 17 | 43 |
| Apr | 66 | 39 | 99% | 8 | 161 |
| May | 74 | 48 | 33% | 1 | 348 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 537 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 668 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 1% | 0 | 447 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 92% | 6 | 179 |
| Nov | 55 | 32 | 100% | 17 | 46 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elkhorn, WV (1,948 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, Mullens 3 E, WV, 17 miles northeast of Welch and 384 feet lower, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days later (October 20), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Welch, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Welch usually arrives around December 13, and the last of the season around February 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pineville, WV, 10.6 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 55 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 24801
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 24801 is 10 miles from Elkhorn, WV, which stands at 1,948 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24801 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.
Frost dates across West 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.