Skip to content

USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 24901 — Lewisburg, West Virginia

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lewisburg 3 N, WV (2,300 ft), 4 miles northeast.

Updated

In Lewisburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 158 days (NOAA, Lewisburg 3 N, WV).

Last spring frost
May 3

50% probability

First fall frost
October 9

50% probability

Growing season
158 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 3

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 15

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

30 of 30 observed

Snow per year
29.5"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Lewisburg

Half of springs at Lewisburg 3 N, WV see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 21 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 40% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 9 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 158 days in a typical year, shorter than at 93% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 139 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 13, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 13.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lewisburg 3 N, 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 24901 →Compare Lewisburg with another place →

Weather by month in Lewisburg

July is the warmest month at Lewisburg 3 N, WV, averaging 82°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 20°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 57% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,824 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 92% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (996) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 651. Precipitation totals 41.6 inches a year, most in May (4.5") and least in November (2.5"); May to September bring 46% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lewisburg 3 N, WV
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan39203.2100%273
Feb43222.9100%244
Mar52283.7100%2227
Apr64383.9100%10125
May72484.557%2318
Jun79564.10%0519
Jul82603.80%0651
Aug81583.40%0608
Sep76513.519%<1402
Oct65392.698%8139
Nov53292.5100%2023
Dec42243.5100%265

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lewisburg 3 N, WV (2,300 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, White Sulphur Springs, WV, 8 miles east of Lewisburg and 381 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 2), a first frost 4 days later (October 13), a season 7 days longer.

Frost dates for 24986 (White Sulphur Springs) →

When it snows in Lewisburg, West Virginia

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lewisburg usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lewisburg 3 N, WV, 4 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 49 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 24901

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Lewisburg, West Virginia
WhenWhat to do
February 22 – March 8Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 8 – March 22Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 5 – April 19Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 3 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 17Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 25Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 9 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 24901 is 4 miles from Lewisburg 3 N, WV, which stands at 2,300 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24901 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in West Virginia