USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26444 — Tunnelton, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rowlesburg 1, WV (1,423 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Tunnelton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Rowlesburg 1, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 179 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 25
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 56.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tunnelton
Half of springs at Rowlesburg 1, WV see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 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 23 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, shorter than at 49% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 159 one year in ten. On average 128 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 7, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rowlesburg 1, 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 26444 →Compare Tunnelton with another place →
Weather by month in Tunnelton
July is the warmest month at Rowlesburg 1, WV, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 20°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,004 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 77% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 34% of them (1,030) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 674. Precipitation totals 57.3 inches a year, most in July (6.6") and least in November (3.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 20 | 4.4 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 43 | 22 | 4.1 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 51 | 29 | 5.0 | 100% | 20 | 30 |
| Apr | 64 | 37 | 4.9 | 99% | 9 | 129 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 5.4 | 39% | 1 | 327 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 537 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 674 |
| Aug | 82 | 60 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 448 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 3.9 | 82% | 5 | 161 |
| Nov | 53 | 31 | 3.7 | 100% | 17 | 30 |
| Dec | 43 | 25 | 4.7 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rowlesburg 1, WV (1,423 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, Terra Alta #1, WV, 13 miles east of Tunnelton and 1,207 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days later (May 7), a first frost 12 days earlier (October 11), a season 23 days shorter.
When it snows in Tunnelton, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Tunnelton usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Rowlesburg 1, WV, 5.6 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26444
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 26444 is 6 miles from Rowlesburg 1, WV, which stands at 1,423 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26444 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.