USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 25015 — Belle, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from London Locks, WV (632 ft), 8 miles east.
Updated
In Belle, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, London Locks, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 209 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
- November 23
- Last snow
- March 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 31.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Belle
Half of springs at London Locks, WV see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 81% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 4 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, the longest of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 90 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 15 days longer, to about April 22, and return around October 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at London Locks, 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 25015 →Compare Belle with another place →
Weather by month in Belle
July is the warmest month at London Locks, WV, averaging 85°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,794 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,358) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 787. Precipitation totals 46.4 inches a year, most in July (5.8") and least in October (2.9"); 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 | 26 | 3.2 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 3.2 | 100% | 20 | 9 |
| Mar | 56 | 34 | 4.3 | 99% | 14 | 58 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 3.8 | 77% | 3 | 208 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.8 | 4% | 0 | 427 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Jul | 85 | 66 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Aug | 84 | 65 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 760 |
| Sep | 79 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 563 |
| Oct | 68 | 47 | 2.9 | 33% | 1 | 255 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 2.9 | 99% | 11 | 57 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 20 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at London Locks, WV (632 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, Charleston Yeager Airport, WV, 11 miles north of Belle and 278 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days later (April 16), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 26), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in Belle, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Belle usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Charleston Yeager Airport, WV, 11.4 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 10 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25015
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 25015 is 8 miles from London Locks, WV, which stands at 632 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 25015 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.