USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 25428 — Inwood, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Martinsburg E Wv Regional Airport, WV (534 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Inwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Martinsburg E Wv Regional Airport, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 183 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
- December 16
- Last snow
- March 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 23.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Inwood
Half of springs at Martinsburg E Wv Regional Airport, WV see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 12 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 98% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 20 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 104 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 May 5, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Martinsburg E Wv Regional Airport, 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 25428 →Compare Inwood with another place →
Weather by month in Inwood
July is the warmest month at Martinsburg E Wv Regional Airport, WV, averaging 87°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 24°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 3,533 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,247) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 797. Precipitation totals 39.0 inches a year, most in May (4.1") and least in February (2.1"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 24 | 2.6 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
| Feb | 45 | 25 | 2.1 | 100% | 22 | 8 |
| Mar | 54 | 32 | 3.4 | 100% | 16 | 42 |
| Apr | 65 | 42 | 3.4 | 93% | 4 | 167 |
| May | 74 | 51 | 4.1 | 28% | <1 | 391 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 633 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 797 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 736 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 4.0 | 0% | <1 | 502 |
| Oct | 67 | 44 | 3.0 | 81% | 3 | 198 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 2.7 | 100% | 13 | 44 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 3.0 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Martinsburg E Wv Regional Airport, WV (534 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, Martinsburg 2, WV, 7 miles northeast of Inwood, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 17), a first frost 1 day later (October 23), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Inwood, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Inwood usually arrives around December 16, and the last of the season around March 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Winchester, VA, 14.2 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25428
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 25428 is 3 miles from Martinsburg E Wv Regional Airport, WV, which stands at 534 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 25414 (Charles Town). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 25428 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.