USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26041 — Moundsville, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Moundsville, WV (620 ft), 1 miles southwest.
Updated
In Moundsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 12 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 177 days (NOAA, Moundsville, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 177 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 16
- Last snow
- March 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 15.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Moundsville
Half of springs at Moundsville, WV see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 12 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 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 11 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 113 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 6, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Moundsville, 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 26041 →Compare Moundsville with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Moundsville
In Moundsville, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 12 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 8, 149 days later; that gap is longer than at 54% of the 84 West Virginia stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 27 days (April 15 to May 12) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 25 days (October 8 to November 2): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Wheeling, WV, 10 miles north, the same gap runs from May 6 to October 15, 13 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 12 | over 90% | 60% |
| Apr 19 | 77% | 35% |
| Apr 2650% date | 50% | 17% |
| May 3 | 28% | under 10% |
| May 10 | 13% | under 10% |
| May 17 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Moundsville
July is the warmest month at Moundsville, WV, averaging 86°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 20°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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,280 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,146) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 739. Precipitation totals 46.2 inches a year, most in June (4.9") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 20 | 3.8 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
| Feb | 43 | 21 | 3.1 | 100% | 23 | 5 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 3.9 | 100% | 18 | 32 |
| Apr | 65 | 38 | 3.7 | 98% | 6 | 140 |
| May | 75 | 49 | 4.5 | 34% | <1 | 371 |
| Jun | 82 | 58 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 596 |
| Jul | 86 | 62 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Aug | 85 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.9 | 1% | 0 | 478 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 3.2 | 86% | 2 | 178 |
| Nov | 54 | 31 | 3.2 | 100% | 14 | 32 |
| Dec | 44 | 25 | 3.7 | 100% | 23 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Moundsville, WV (620 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, Wheeling, WV, 10 miles north of Moundsville, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 20), a first frost 8 days later (October 29), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Moundsville, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Moundsville usually arrives around December 16, and the last of the season around March 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Moundsville, WV, 1.1 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 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26041
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 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 26041 is 1 mile from Moundsville, WV, which stands at 620 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26041 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.