USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 41572 — Virgie, Kentucky
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Clintwood 1W, VA (1,566 ft), 14 miles southeast.
Updated
In Virgie, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 169 days (NOAA, Clintwood 1W, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 169 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 18
- Last snow
- March 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Virgie
Half of springs at Clintwood 1W, VA see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 68% of the 113 Kentucky stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 26; 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 169 days in a typical year, shorter than at 98% of the 113 Kentucky stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 149 one year in ten. On average 133 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 10 days longer, to about May 9, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 20 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Clintwood 1W, VA, 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 41572 →Compare Virgie with another place →
Weather by month in Virgie
July is the warmest month at Clintwood 1W, VA, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 22°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 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,007 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 113 Kentucky stations. 36% of them (1,087) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 659. Precipitation totals 49.2 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in October (2.8"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 3.7 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Feb | 47 | 24 | 3.9 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
| Mar | 56 | 29 | 4.4 | 100% | 21 | 40 |
| Apr | 68 | 38 | 4.6 | 99% | 10 | 154 |
| May | 74 | 48 | 4.9 | 41% | 1 | 349 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 531 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 659 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 629 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.3 | 4% | <1 | 432 |
| Oct | 66 | 40 | 2.8 | 90% | 7 | 162 |
| Nov | 55 | 30 | 2.8 | 100% | 20 | 29 |
| Dec | 46 | 25 | 4.3 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Clintwood 1W, VA (1,566 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, Breaks Interstate Park, VA, 18 miles east of Virgie and 327 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 7 days later (October 23), a season 13 days longer.
When it snows in Virgie, Kentucky
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Virgie usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Clintwood 1W, VA, 14 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 41572
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 41572 is 14 miles from Clintwood 1W, VA, which stands at 1,566 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 24228 (Clintwood). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 41572 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
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.