USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 25271 — Ripley, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ripley, WV (608 ft), 1 miles north.
Updated
In Ripley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Ripley, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 178 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 26
- Last snow
- February 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 11.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ripley
Half of springs at Ripley, WV see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 11 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 21 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, shorter than at 52% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 113 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 4, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ripley, 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 25271 →Compare Ripley with another place →
Weather by month in Ripley
July is the warmest month at Ripley, WV, averaging 88°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 22°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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,759 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,366) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 800. Precipitation totals 46.2 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in November (3.0"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 22 | 3.1 | 100% | 24 | 8 |
| Feb | 48 | 24 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 12 |
| Mar | 57 | 30 | 4.2 | 100% | 18 | 59 |
| Apr | 70 | 40 | 3.8 | 98% | 7 | 202 |
| May | 78 | 50 | 4.4 | 28% | <1 | 435 |
| Jun | 85 | 59 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Jul | 88 | 63 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 800 |
| Aug | 87 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 755 |
| Sep | 82 | 55 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Oct | 70 | 42 | 3.1 | 85% | 4 | 227 |
| Nov | 58 | 32 | 3.0 | 100% | 16 | 55 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ripley, WV (608 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, Sandyville 9 NE, WV, 14 miles northeast of Ripley, has a last frost 8 days later (May 1), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 14), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Ripley, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ripley usually arrives around December 26, and the last of the season around February 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ripley, WV, 1 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 60 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25271
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 25271 is 1 mile from Ripley, WV, which stands at 608 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 25271 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.