USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26601 — Sutton, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sutton Lake, WV (868 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Sutton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 187 days (NOAA, Sutton Lake, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 187 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 12
- Last snow
- March 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sutton
Half of springs at Sutton Lake, WV see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 7, 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 5 20%, and after May 11 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 28 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 187 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 206 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 120 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 11 days longer, to about May 3, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 13 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sutton Lake, 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 26601 →Compare Sutton with another place →
Weather by month in Sutton
July is the warmest month at Sutton Lake, WV, averaging 87°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 23°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 3,691 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 81% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 35% of them (1,306) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 781.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 100% | 23 | 9 |
| Mar | 55 | 31 | 100% | 19 | 49 |
| Apr | 68 | 40 | 96% | 8 | 184 |
| May | 76 | 50 | 29% | 1 | 417 |
| Jun | 84 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 641 |
| Jul | 87 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 65% | 4 | 243 |
| Nov | 57 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 48 |
| Dec | 47 | 28 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sutton Lake, WV (868 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, Gassaway, WV, 5 miles west of Sutton, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 20), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 25), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Sutton, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sutton usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around March 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sutton Lake, WV, 1.7 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 42 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26601
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 26601 is 2 miles from Sutton Lake, WV, which stands at 868 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26601 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.