USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 26273 — Huttonsville, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kumbrabow, WV (3,235 ft), 6 miles southwest.
Updated
In Huttonsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 150 days (NOAA, Kumbrabow, WV).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 150 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 16
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Huttonsville
Half of springs at Kumbrabow, WV see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 26 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider 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 6 in half of years, as early as September 22 one year in ten, and holds off past October 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 150 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 171 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 159 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 14 days longer, to about May 21, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 17 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 8 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 16 | May 19 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 7 | May 14 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kumbrabow, 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 26273 →Compare Huttonsville with another place →
Weather by month in Huttonsville
July is the warmest month at Kumbrabow, WV, averaging 75°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 16°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 69% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,887 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 84 West Virginia stations. 32% of them (611) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 477.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 16 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 62 |
| May | 66 | 44 | 69% | 4 | 197 |
| Jun | 72 | 51 | 4% | <1 | 343 |
| Jul | 75 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 477 |
| Aug | 74 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 440 |
| Sep | 69 | 48 | 30% | 1 | 265 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 99% | 11 | 82 |
| Nov | 49 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 9 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kumbrabow, WV (3,235 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, Elkins Randolph Co Airport, WV, 16 miles northeast of Huttonsville and 1,256 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 5), a first frost 6 days later (October 12), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Huttonsville, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Huttonsville usually arrives around November 16, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Kumbrabow, WV, 6.3 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26273
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 26273 is 6 miles from Kumbrabow, WV, which stands at 3,235 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26273 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.