Frost dates for Charleston, West Virginia
In Charleston, half of springs have had their last frost by April 16 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 5), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 26, leaving about 192 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
Charleston, West Virginia
Last spring frost
April 16
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 5: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 26
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 13.
Growing season
192 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 168.
Hardiness zone
7a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 0°F to 5°F. On the 2012 map it was 6b, half a zone colder. All 7 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 7a.
Print a year planner for Charleston
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 | April 1 | April 16 | May 5 |
| First frost in fall | October 13 | October 26 | November 6 |
The frost-free season between them runs 192 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 211 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 168 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 1 and first on November 5. 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 29 and first on October 17. 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 Charleston comes between April 1 and May 5, a window of 34 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among West Virginia's 99 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 87 percent have their typical last frost later than Charleston does.
Planting calendar for Charleston
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 29 to February 26 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February | ||
| February 12 to March 12 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 26 to March 19 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 5 to 19 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 12 to 26 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 19 to April 2 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 19 to April 2 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 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 |
| April 2 to 16 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 16 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 30 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 30 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May | ||
| May 31 to June 14 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 19 |
| June | ||
| June 20 to July 4 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 8 |
| July | ||
| July 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 |
| August | ||
| August 3 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 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 |
| August 8 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 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 |
| August 13 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 23 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 2 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 12 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 13 | 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 12 to 19 | 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 19 days later. That plans around May 5, 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 Charleston Yeager Airport (station USW00013866), 3 miles from the center of Charleston. It sits 260 feet higher, at 910 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.
The same station also gives the frost dates for South Charleston and St. Albans.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 15 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 25015, 25071, 25156, 25201, 25231, 25301, 25302, 25304, 25305, 25306, 25311, 25312, 25314, 25320, 25387. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Huntington, West Virginia: last frost around April 14, first frost around October 26 (45 miles away)
- Morgantown, West Virginia: last frost around April 23, first frost around October 24 (125 miles away)
- Columbus, Ohio: last frost around April 18, first frost around October 27 (135 miles away)
See frost dates across West Virginia, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.