USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 24954 — Marlinton, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marlinton, WV (2,150 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Marlinton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 148 days (NOAA, Marlinton, WV).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 148 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 2
- Last snow
- April 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 42.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Marlinton
Half of springs at Marlinton, WV see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 28 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 61% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 6 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 18, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 148 days in a typical year, the shortest of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 166 days one year in ten and falls short of 126 one year in ten. On average 167 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 11 days longer, to about May 22, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 7 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 28 |
| 28°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 24°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 5 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 14 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 16°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marlinton, 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 24954 →Compare Marlinton with another place →
Weather by month in Marlinton
July is the warmest month at Marlinton, WV, averaging 78°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 16°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 82% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,103 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 32% of them (679) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 529. Precipitation totals 45.2 inches a year, most in May (4.8") and least in October (2.9"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 16 | 3.6 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 40 | 18 | 3.2 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 49 | 24 | 4.1 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 60 | 33 | 4.0 | 100% | 15 | 63 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 4.8 | 82% | 5 | 208 |
| Jun | 75 | 51 | 3.9 | 6% | 0 | 397 |
| Jul | 78 | 56 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 529 |
| Aug | 77 | 55 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 494 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 3.5 | 25% | 1 | 311 |
| Oct | 62 | 35 | 2.9 | 100% | 13 | 81 |
| Nov | 50 | 25 | 3.1 | 100% | 24 | 8 |
| Dec | 40 | 20 | 3.8 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marlinton, WV (2,150 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, Gathright Dam, VA, 18 miles south of Marlinton and 380 feet lower, has a last frost 19 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 15 days later (October 21), a season 33 days longer.
When it snows in Marlinton, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Marlinton usually arrives around December 2, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Marlinton, WV, 2.3 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 24954
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 24954 is 2 miles from Marlinton, WV, which stands at 2,150 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 24954 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.