USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26354 — Grafton, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tygart Dam, WV (1,235 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Grafton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Tygart Dam, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 178 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 4
- Last snow
- March 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Grafton
Half of springs at Tygart Dam, WV see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 14 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 40% of the 84 West Virginia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, shorter than at 52% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 196 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 124 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 7 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 | May 18 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tygart Dam, 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 26354 →Compare Grafton with another place →
Weather by month in Grafton
July is the warmest month at Tygart Dam, WV, averaging 81°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,957 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,029) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 660. Precipitation totals 48.5 inches a year, most in July (5.5") and least in November (3.1"); 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 | 21 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 3.3 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 3.9 | 100% | 20 | 33 |
| Apr | 64 | 39 | 4.3 | 99% | 8 | 138 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.9 | 35% | 1 | 327 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 518 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 660 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 434 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 3.4 | 85% | 4 | 168 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 17 | 32 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 3.8 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tygart Dam, WV (1,235 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, Fairmont, WV, 10 miles northwest of Grafton, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 18), a first frost 6 days later (October 28), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Grafton, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Grafton usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around March 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tygart Dam, WV, 2.1 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 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26354
| 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 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 26354 is 2 miles from Tygart Dam, WV, which stands at 1,235 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26354 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.