USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 26287 — Parsons, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Parsons 3 SE, WV (1,775 ft), 5 miles southeast.
Updated
In Parsons, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Parsons 3 SE, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 182 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 21
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 55.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Parsons
Half of springs at Parsons 3 SE, WV see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 11 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 24 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, longer than at 63% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 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 4, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Parsons 3 SE, 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 26287 →Compare Parsons with another place →
Weather by month in Parsons
July is the warmest month at Parsons 3 SE, WV, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 22°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 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,223 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,137) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 710. Precipitation totals 55.1 inches a year, most in June (6.0") and least in November (3.6"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 3.8 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Feb | 43 | 24 | 3.9 | 100% | 24 | 8 |
| Mar | 52 | 31 | 4.5 | 100% | 21 | 39 |
| Apr | 64 | 40 | 4.6 | 97% | 11 | 153 |
| May | 73 | 50 | 5.8 | 29% | 1 | 364 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 710 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Sep | 76 | 55 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 466 |
| Oct | 65 | 43 | 3.9 | 76% | 7 | 182 |
| Nov | 53 | 33 | 3.6 | 100% | 19 | 39 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 4.4 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Parsons 3 SE, WV (1,775 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, Rowlesburg 1, WV, 14 miles north of Parsons and 352 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days later (April 28), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 23), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Parsons, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Parsons usually arrives around November 21, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Parsons 3 SE, WV, 5.2 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 18 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26287
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 26287 is 5 miles from Parsons 3 SE, WV, which stands at 1,775 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26287 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.