USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 25276 — Spencer, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Spencer, WV (972 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Spencer, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 169 days (NOAA, Spencer, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 169 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 7
- Last snow
- March 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 24.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Spencer
Half of springs at Spencer, WV see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 18 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 169 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 188 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 129 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 9 days longer, to about May 9, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Spencer, 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 25276 →Compare Spencer with another place →
Weather by month in Spencer
July is the warmest month at Spencer, WV, averaging 83°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 22°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 47% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,184 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,137) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 697. Precipitation totals 47.5 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in November (3.1"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Feb | 43 | 24 | 3.2 | 100% | 24 | 10 |
| Mar | 53 | 30 | 4.3 | 100% | 20 | 45 |
| Apr | 65 | 39 | 3.7 | 99% | 9 | 156 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 5.0 | 47% | 2 | 351 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 3.9 | 6% | 0 | 458 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 3.3 | 93% | 7 | 177 |
| Nov | 54 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 18 | 41 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 3.7 | 100% | 24 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Spencer, WV (972 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, Creston, WV, 13 miles north of Spencer and 322 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 29), a first frost 2 days later (October 19), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Spencer, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Spencer usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around March 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Spencer, WV, 1.7 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 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25276
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 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 25276 is 2 miles from Spencer, WV, which stands at 972 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 25276 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.