USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 43149 — Rockbridge, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Logan, OH (722 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Rockbridge, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 167 days (NOAA, Logan, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 167 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 31
- Last snow
- February 18
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 15.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rockbridge
Half of springs at Logan, OH see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 18, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 17 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 24% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 14 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 167 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 185 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 135 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 10, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Logan, OH, 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 43149 →Compare Rockbridge with another place →
Weather by month in Rockbridge
July is the warmest month at Logan, OH, averaging 85°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,121 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 148 Ohio stations. 35% of them (1,092) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 711. Precipitation totals 43.1 inches a year, most in June (4.7") and least in November (2.8"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 19 | 3.2 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Feb | 42 | 21 | 2.9 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
| Mar | 52 | 28 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 33 |
| Apr | 65 | 37 | 4.1 | 99% | 10 | 130 |
| May | 74 | 48 | 4.3 | 50% | 1 | 351 |
| Jun | 81 | 57 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 569 |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 711 |
| Aug | 84 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Sep | 78 | 52 | 2.9 | 5% | 0 | 459 |
| Oct | 67 | 40 | 3.1 | 96% | 7 | 162 |
| Nov | 54 | 30 | 2.8 | 100% | 19 | 28 |
| Dec | 43 | 23 | 3.1 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Logan, OH (722 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, Lancaster, OH, 12 miles north of Rockbridge, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 10 days later (October 24), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Rockbridge, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Rockbridge usually arrives around December 31, and the last of the season around February 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Laurelville, OH, 9.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 71 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43149
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 43149 is 10 miles from Logan, OH, which stands at 722 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 43138 (Logan). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43149 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.
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.