Frost dates for Norfolk, Virginia
In Norfolk, half of springs have had their last frost by March 16 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 1), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 26, leaving about 255 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
Norfolk, Virginia
Last spring frost
March 16
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 1: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 26
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 8.
Growing season
255 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 231.
Hardiness zone
8b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 15°F to 20°F. On the 2012 map it was 8a, half a zone colder. All 16 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Norfolk NAS (3 miles away, at 20 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of March 16 and a typical first frost of November 26. NOAA's Oceana NAS (15 miles away, at 20 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of March 29 and a typical first frost of November 12. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from March 16 to 29 and the typical first frost from November 12 to 26, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Norfolk
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 | February 26 | March 16 | April 1 |
| First frost in fall | November 8 | November 26 | December 17 |
The frost-free season between them runs 255 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 283 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 231 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 2 and first on December 12. 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 March 29 and first on November 14. 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 Norfolk comes between February 26 and April 1, a window of 34 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, 99 percent have their typical last frost later than Norfolk does.
Planting calendar for Norfolk
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.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 12 to February 9 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 26 to February 16 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 2 to 16 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 9 to 23 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 16 to March 2 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 16 to March 2 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 2 to 16 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 2 to 16 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 16 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March 30 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 30 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 1 to 15 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 19 |
| July 21 to August 4 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 8 |
| August | ||
| August 30 | 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 |
| September | ||
| September 3 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 4 | 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 |
| September 8 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 9 | 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 |
| September 13 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 23 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 3 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 13 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 8 | 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 |
| December | ||
| December 29 to January 26 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 16 days later. That plans around April 1, 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 Norfolk NAS (station USW00013750), 3 miles from the center of Norfolk. It sits at about the same elevation, 20 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.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Portsmouth.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 8 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 23433, 23503, 23505, 23511, 23551, 23607, 23651, 23703. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Hampton, Virginia: last frost around March 24, first frost around November 15 (9 miles away)
- Virginia Beach, Virginia: last frost around March 29, first frost around November 12 (15 miles away)
- Chesapeake, Virginia: last frost around March 23, first frost around November 18 (15 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.