USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 26764 — Terra Alta, West Virginia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Terra Alta #1, WV (2,630 ft), under a mile south.
Updated
In Terra Alta, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 156 days (NOAA, Terra Alta #1, WV).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 156 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 26
- Last snow
- April 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 171.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Terra Alta
Half of springs at Terra Alta #1, WV see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 24. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 24 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 11 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 15, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 156 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 84 West Virginia stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 134 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 12 days longer, to about May 19, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 2 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Terra Alta #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 26764 →Compare Terra Alta with another place →
Weather by month in Terra Alta
July is the warmest month at Terra Alta #1, WV, averaging 77°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 18°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 65% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,270 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 84 West Virginia stations. 34% of them (765) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 539. Precipitation totals 57.1 inches a year, most in July (5.8") and least in October (3.8"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 4.7 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Feb | 38 | 20 | 4.3 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 46 | 26 | 5.0 | 100% | 21 | 24 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 5.0 | 100% | 9 | 96 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 5.4 | 65% | 1 | 230 |
| Jun | 73 | 54 | 5.6 | 1% | 0 | 408 |
| Jul | 77 | 58 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 539 |
| Aug | 76 | 57 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 504 |
| Sep | 70 | 51 | 4.1 | 17% | <1 | 322 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 3.8 | 99% | 5 | 110 |
| Nov | 49 | 30 | 3.9 | 100% | 16 | 25 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 4.6 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Terra Alta #1, WV (2,630 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, Oakland 1 SE, MD, 8 miles east of Terra Alta and 210 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 6), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 9).
When it snows in Terra Alta, West Virginia
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Terra Alta usually arrives around October 26, and the last of the season around April 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Terra Alta #1, WV, 0.6 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 26764
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 26764 is under a mile from Terra Alta #1, WV, which stands at 2,630 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 26537 (Kingwood). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 26764 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.