USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 26651 — Summersville, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Summersville Lake, WV (1,768 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Summersville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Summersville Lake, WV).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 19
- 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 3
- Last snow
- March 30
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Summersville
Half of springs at Summersville Lake, WV see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 16 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 16 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 192 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 127 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 8, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 21 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Summersville 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 26651 →Compare Summersville with another place →
Weather by month in Summersville
July is the warmest month at Summersville Lake, WV, averaging 81°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,965 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 82% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 36% of them (1,058) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 653. Precipitation totals 50.0 inches a year, most in July (5.9") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.5 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Feb | 44 | 23 | 3.1 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 4.3 | 100% | 21 | 36 |
| Apr | 65 | 38 | 4.2 | 97% | 9 | 150 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 5.3 | 39% | 1 | 332 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 5.2 | 1% | 0 | 527 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 653 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 426 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 3.3 | 89% | 5 | 166 |
| Nov | 54 | 32 | 3.3 | 100% | 18 | 38 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 3.9 | 100% | 24 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Summersville Lake, WV (1,768 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, Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV, 18 miles southwest of Summersville and 472 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 3 days later (October 22), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Summersville, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Summersville usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Summersville Lake, WV, 6.1 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26651
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 26651 is 6 miles from Summersville Lake, WV, which stands at 1,768 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26651 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.