Frost dates for Richmond, Virginia
In Richmond, half of springs have had their last frost by April 3 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 18), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 4, leaving about 215 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
Richmond, Virginia
Last spring frost
April 3
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 4
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 23.
Growing season
215 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 195.
Hardiness zone
7b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 5°F to 10°F. On the 2012 map it was 7a, half a zone colder. All 13 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 7b.
Print a year planner for Richmond
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 19 | April 3 | April 18 |
| First frost in fall | October 23 | November 4 | November 19 |
The frost-free season between them runs 215 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 236 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 195 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 22 and first on November 15. 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 16 and first on October 26. 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 Richmond comes between March 19 and April 18, a window of 30 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, 81 percent have their typical last frost later than Richmond does.
Planting calendar for Richmond
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 16 to February 13 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 30 to February 27 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 13 to March 6 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 20 to March 6 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 27 to March 13 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 6 to 20 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 6 to 20 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 20 to April 3 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 20 to April 3 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 3 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 17 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 17 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 9 to 23 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 28 |
| June 29 to July 13 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 17 |
| August | ||
| August 8 | 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 12 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 13 | 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 17 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 18 | 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 22 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 1 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 11 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 21 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 23 | 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 22 to 29 | 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 15 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 Richmond International Airport (station USW00013740), 9 miles from the center of Richmond. It sits at about the same elevation, 160 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 17 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 23112, 23219, 23220, 23221, 23222, 23223, 23224, 23225, 23231, 23234, 23235, 23236, 23237, 23250, 23284, 23298, 23832. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Newport News, Virginia: last frost around April 1, first frost around November 9 (60 miles away)
- Hampton, Virginia: last frost around March 24, first frost around November 15 (75 miles away)
- Norfolk, Virginia: last frost around March 16, first frost around November 26 (80 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.