Frost dates for Newport News, Virginia
In Newport News, half of springs have had their last frost by April 1 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 18), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 9, leaving about 221 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Newport News, Virginia
Last spring frost
April 1
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 18: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 9
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 31.
Growing season
221 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 203.
Hardiness zone
8a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 10°F to 15°F. It was 8a on the 2012 map too. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 5 in 8a and 2 in 8b.
Print a year planner for Newport News
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 18 | April 1 | April 18 |
| First frost in fall | October 31 | November 9 | November 25 |
The frost-free season between them runs 221 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 241 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 203 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 20 and first on November 20. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 15 and first on October 31. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Newport News comes between March 18 and April 18, a window of 31 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among Virginia's 125 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 86 percent have their typical last frost later than Newport News does.
Planting calendar for Newport News
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 14 to February 11 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 28 to February 25 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 11 to March 4 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 18 to March 4 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 25 to March 11 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 4 to 18 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 4 to 18 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 18 to April 1 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 18 to April 1 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 1 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 15 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 15 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 14 to 28 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 2 |
| July | ||
| July 4 to 18 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 22 |
| August | ||
| August 13 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 17 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 18 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 22 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 23 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 27 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 6 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 16 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 26 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 31 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 27 to December 4 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 17 days later. That plans around April 18, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Newport News International Airport (station USW00093741), 4 miles from the center of Newport News. It sits at about the same elevation, 40 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 14 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 23062, 23304, 23314, 23430, 23601, 23602, 23603, 23604, 23606, 23608, 23690, 23692, 23693, 23696. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Hampton, Virginia: last frost around March 24, first frost around November 15 (10 miles away)
- Norfolk, Virginia: last frost around March 16, first frost around November 26 (20 miles away)
- Chesapeake, Virginia: last frost around March 23, first frost around November 18 (30 miles away)
See frost dates across Virginia, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.