USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26034 — Chester, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from New Cumberland L/D, WV (675 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In Chester, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, New Cumberland L/D, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 186 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
- December 15
- Last snow
- March 3
- Winters with snow
- 78%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chester
Half of springs at New Cumberland L/D, WV see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 8 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 81% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 28 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, longer than at 74% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 204 days one year in ten and falls short of 166 one year in ten. On average 112 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 10 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 14 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at New Cumberland L/D, 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 26034 →Compare Chester with another place →
Weather by month in Chester
July is the warmest month at New Cumberland L/D, WV, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 21°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 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,185 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 34% of them (1,070) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 727.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Feb | 40 | 22 | 100% | 24 | 3 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 26 |
| Apr | 62 | 40 | 99% | 6 | 125 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 21% | 1 | 341 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 573 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Sep | 76 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 478 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 61% | 1 | 181 |
| Nov | 52 | 34 | 100% | 12 | 31 |
| Dec | 41 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at New Cumberland L/D, WV (675 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, Montgomery L&D, PA, 9 miles east of Chester, has a last frost 6 days later (April 28), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 26), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Chester, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Chester usually arrives around December 15, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at New Cumberland L/D, WV, 6.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 78% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26034
| 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 August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 26034 is 7 miles from New Cumberland L/D, WV, which stands at 675 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 43920 (East Liverpool). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26034 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.