USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26362 — Harrisville, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Harrisville, WV (823 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Harrisville, 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 17, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Harrisville, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 17
- 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
- December 6
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Harrisville
Half of springs at Harrisville, WV see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 14, 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 8 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 14 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 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 129 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 9 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Harrisville, 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 26362 →Compare Harrisville with another place →
Weather by month in Harrisville
July is the warmest month at Harrisville, WV, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,327 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,212) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 725.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 21 | 100% | 27 | 7 |
| Feb | 45 | 23 | 100% | 24 | 13 |
| Mar | 54 | 30 | 100% | 20 | 44 |
| Apr | 67 | 39 | 99% | 8 | 159 |
| May | 75 | 50 | 36% | 1 | 394 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 596 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 725 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Sep | 78 | 53 | 2% | 0 | 472 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 95% | 5 | 180 |
| Nov | 56 | 31 | 100% | 20 | 36 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 100% | 24 | 8 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Harrisville, WV (823 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, W Union 2, WV, 17 miles northeast of Harrisville, has a last frost 2 days later (April 28), a first frost 4 days later (October 21), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Harrisville, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Harrisville usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Harrisville, WV, 3.3 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26362
| 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 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 26362 is 3 miles from Harrisville, WV, which stands at 823 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 26415 (Pennsboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26362 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.