USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 25921 — Sophia, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beckley Va Hospital, WV (2,330 ft), 6 miles northeast.
Updated
In Sophia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 156 days (NOAA, Beckley Va Hospital, WV).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 156 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 25
- Last snow
- March 26
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sophia
Half of springs at Beckley Va Hospital, WV see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 23 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 October 10 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 15, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 156 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 177 days one year in ten and falls short of 136 one year in ten. On average 140 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 12 days longer, to about May 18, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beckley Va Hospital, 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 25921 →Compare Sophia with another place →
Weather by month in Sophia
July is the warmest month at Beckley Va Hospital, WV, averaging 79°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,502 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (875) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 577. Precipitation totals 43.5 inches a year, most in July (5.4") and least in October (2.6"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 19 | 3.1 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Feb | 43 | 21 | 2.9 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 51 | 27 | 3.8 | 100% | 22 | 25 |
| Apr | 63 | 36 | 3.8 | 100% | 11 | 111 |
| May | 71 | 46 | 4.6 | 66% | 2 | 278 |
| Jun | 76 | 54 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 454 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 577 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 538 |
| Sep | 73 | 50 | 3.3 | 15% | <1 | 356 |
| Oct | 63 | 39 | 2.6 | 99% | 8 | 124 |
| Nov | 53 | 29 | 2.7 | 100% | 21 | 26 |
| Dec | 43 | 23 | 3.5 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beckley Va Hospital, WV (2,330 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 Raleigh Co Airport, WV, 9 miles northeast of Sophia and 184 feet higher, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 11 days later (October 21), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Sophia, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sophia usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Beckley Va Hospital, WV, 5.5 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 25921
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 25921 is 6 miles from Beckley Va Hospital, WV, which stands at 2,330 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 25801 (Beckley). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 25921 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.