USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26201 — Buckhannon, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Buckhannon, WV (1,455 ft), 1 miles southwest.
Updated
In Buckhannon, 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 20, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Buckhannon, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 173 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 21
- Last snow
- March 27
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 39.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Buckhannon
Half of springs at Buckhannon, WV see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 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 20 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 173 days in a typical year, shorter than at 64% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 150 one year in ten. On average 133 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 9, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 15 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Buckhannon, 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 26201 →Compare Buckhannon with another place →
Weather by month in Buckhannon
July is the warmest month at Buckhannon, WV, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,242 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,141) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 718. Precipitation totals 49.2 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in November (3.0"); 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 | 21 | 3.6 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Feb | 44 | 23 | 3.3 | 100% | 24 | 8 |
| Mar | 53 | 29 | 4.2 | 100% | 21 | 38 |
| Apr | 66 | 38 | 3.8 | 99% | 10 | 150 |
| May | 74 | 49 | 5.2 | 42% | 1 | 362 |
| Jun | 81 | 57 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 576 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.8 | 1% | 0 | 476 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 3.8 | 88% | 7 | 178 |
| Nov | 55 | 31 | 3.0 | 100% | 19 | 38 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 3.9 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Buckhannon, WV (1,455 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, Rock Cave 2 NE, WV, 11 miles southwest of Buckhannon and 294 feet higher, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 26), a first frost 1 day later (October 21), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Buckhannon, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Buckhannon usually arrives around November 21, and the last of the season around March 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Buckhannon, WV, 1.3 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 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26201
| 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 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 26201 is 1 mile from Buckhannon, WV, which stands at 1,455 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26201 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.