USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 25530 — Kenova, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Huntington Tri State Airport, WV (824 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Kenova, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 14 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 195 days (NOAA, Huntington Tri State Airport, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 14
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 195 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 6
- Last snow
- March 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 19.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kenova
Half of springs at Huntington Tri State Airport, WV see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 195 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 171 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 13 days longer, to about April 27, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 18 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 11 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 16°F | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Huntington Tri State 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 25530 →Compare Kenova with another place →
Weather by month in Kenova
July is the warmest month at Huntington Tri State Airport, WV, averaging 86°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 June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 82% of years and May still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,052 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 38% of them (1,540) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 818. Precipitation totals 45.3 inches a year, most in July (5.1") and least in October (3.0"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.1 | 100% | 22 | 17 |
| Feb | 47 | 29 | 3.4 | 100% | 19 | 21 |
| Mar | 57 | 36 | 4.2 | 99% | 13 | 89 |
| Apr | 69 | 46 | 3.9 | 82% | 3 | 254 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 4.5 | 12% | <1 | 473 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 818 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Sep | 80 | 58 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 560 |
| Oct | 69 | 46 | 3.0 | 75% | 2 | 257 |
| Nov | 57 | 37 | 3.1 | 100% | 12 | 74 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 3.6 | 100% | 19 | 23 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Huntington Tri State Airport, WV (824 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, Huntington Swg Pl, WV, 3 miles east of Kenova and 304 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 12), a first frost 4 days later (October 30), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Kenova, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Kenova usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Huntington Tri State Airport, WV, 1.8 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25530
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 3 – February 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 25530 is 2 miles from Huntington Tri State Airport, WV, which stands at 824 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 41129 (Catlettsburg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 25530 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.