USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 25813 — Beaver, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV (2,514 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In Beaver, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 13 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 180 days (NOAA, Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 180 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
- November 12
- Last snow
- April 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 55.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beaver
Half of springs at Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 89% 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 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 27, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 200 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 107 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 May 5, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beckley Raleigh Co 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 25813 →Compare Beaver with another place →
Weather by month in Beaver
July is the warmest month at Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV, averaging 81°F by day and 62°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 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,173 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 37% of them (1,168) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 668. Precipitation totals 43.5 inches a year, most in July (5.0") and least in October (2.7"); 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 | 3.1 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Feb | 44 | 27 | 3.1 | 100% | 21 | 13 |
| Mar | 53 | 33 | 4.0 | 100% | 16 | 56 |
| Apr | 64 | 43 | 3.6 | 98% | 6 | 182 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.7 | 31% | 1 | 361 |
| Jun | 78 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| Jul | 81 | 62 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 668 |
| Aug | 80 | 61 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Sep | 74 | 55 | 3.2 | 1% | 0 | 443 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 2.7 | 87% | 4 | 191 |
| Nov | 53 | 35 | 2.8 | 100% | 14 | 52 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV (2,514 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, Beckley Va Hospital, WV, 4 miles west of Beaver and 184 feet lower, has a last frost 14 days later (May 6), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 10), a season 24 days shorter.
When it snows in Beaver, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Beaver usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV, 2.1 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 15 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25813
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 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 25813 is 2 miles from Beckley Raleigh Co Airport, WV, which stands at 2,514 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 25813 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.