USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 25541 — Milton, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pea Ridge Psd, WV (584 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Milton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 8 in half of years and has passed by April 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 205 days (NOAA, Pea Ridge Psd, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 8
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 205 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 7
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 9.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Milton
Half of springs at Pea Ridge Psd, WV see their last 32°F night by April 8; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 25. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 25 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 61% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 205 days in a typical year, longer than at 96% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 225 days one year in ten and falls short of 183 one year in ten. On average 108 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 14 days longer, to about April 22, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 27 and February 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 25 |
| 28°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pea Ridge Psd, 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 25541 →Compare Milton with another place →
Weather by month in Milton
July is the warmest month at Pea Ridge Psd, WV, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 27°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,267 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 38% of them (1,616) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 862. Precipitation totals 46.8 inches a year, most in July (5.7") 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 | 44 | 27 | 3.4 | 100% | 24 | 17 |
| Feb | 49 | 29 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 25 |
| Mar | 59 | 35 | 4.2 | 99% | 17 | 84 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 3.9 | 75% | 5 | 265 |
| May | 78 | 54 | 4.8 | 6% | 1 | 504 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 723 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 820 |
| Sep | 82 | 58 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 597 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 2.9 | 47% | 3 | 280 |
| Nov | 58 | 36 | 2.9 | 99% | 15 | 69 |
| Dec | 48 | 31 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 24 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pea Ridge Psd, WV (584 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, Hamlin, WV, 11 miles south of Milton, has a last frost 15 days later (April 23), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 21), a season 25 days shorter.
When it snows in Milton, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Milton usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pea Ridge Psd, WV, 9 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 42 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25541
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 28 – February 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 25541 is 9 miles from Pea Ridge Psd, WV, which stands at 584 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 25705 (Huntington). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 25541 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.