USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26143 — Elizabeth, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Creston, WV (650 ft), 10 miles southeast.
Updated
In Elizabeth, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Creston, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 172 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 1
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 24.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elizabeth
Half of springs at Creston, WV see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 16 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 136 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 8 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Creston, 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 26143 →Compare Elizabeth with another place →
Weather by month in Elizabeth
July is the warmest month at Creston, WV, averaging 86°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,301 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,149) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 730.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 20 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Feb | 45 | 22 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Mar | 55 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 33 |
| Apr | 67 | 37 | 100% | 11 | 148 |
| May | 75 | 48 | 40% | 1 | 368 |
| Jun | 82 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Jul | 86 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Aug | 85 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 0% | 0 | 491 |
| Oct | 68 | 41 | 90% | 9 | 180 |
| Nov | 56 | 30 | 100% | 19 | 37 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Creston, WV (650 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, Sandyville 9 NE, WV, 10 miles southwest of Elizabeth, has a last frost 2 days later (May 1), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 14), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Elizabeth, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elizabeth usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sandyville 9 NE, WV, 10.5 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26143
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 26143 is 10 miles from Creston, WV, which stands at 650 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26143 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.