U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00460580 · West Virginia

Frost Dates for Beckley Va Hospital, WV

NOAA weather station Beckley Va Hospital (USC00460580), West Virginia · elevation 2330 ft (710 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 23only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season156 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Beckley Va Hospital, WVSpring: a frost after April 22 in 9 years out of 10, after May 6 in half of the years, after May 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 28 in 1 year out of 10, before October 10 in half of the years, before October 22 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 156 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 6First frost ~Oct 10Frost season at Beckley Va Hospital, WVSpring: a frost after April 22 in 9 years out of 10, after May 6 in half of the years, after May 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 28 in 1 year out of 10, before October 10 in half of the years, before October 22 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 156 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 6First frost ~Oct 10
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 23September 28
50% (typical)May 6October 10
90% (likely)April 22October 22
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
156 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 25
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 20

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 4 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 14 (4 days later). Frost-free season 161 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Beckley Va Hospital: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 23, 20% May 18, 30% May 14, 40% May 10, 50% May 6, 60% May 3, 70% April 30, 80% April 26, 90% April 22. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 16, 2022 April 28, 2023 May 6, 2024 April 24, 2025 May 11, 2026 May 15.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 23May 6Apr 222021: May 162022: April 282023: May 62024: April 242025: May 112026: May 15Fall at Beckley Va Hospital: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 28, 20% October 2, 30% October 5, 40% October 7, 50% October 10, 60% October 12, 70% October 15, 80% October 18, 90% October 22. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 19, 2022 September 28, 2023 October 8, 2024 October 10, 2025 October 17.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 28Oct 10Oct 222021: October 192022: September 282023: October 82024: October 102025: October 17
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 16October 19
2022April 28September 28
2023May 6October 8
2024April 24October 10
2025May 11October 17
2026May 15season not over yet

What these dates mean

September 28 is the cautious fall date at Beckley Va Hospital for finishing the harvest of tender crops; it carries a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring, the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 23, when the chance of a light frost later is only 10%, while the gamble date is April 22 with a 90% chance. The 50% light-frost dates—May 6 in spring and October 10 in fall—represent the median point at which a light frost is equally likely to occur before or after, giving gardeners a reference for average timing. The hard-frost median dates are April 25 and October 20, and a hard frost matters more because temperatures at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a 32 °F light frost. The two 32 °F 50% dates are 156 days apart, based on 29 years of record.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 23" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before September 28" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Beckley Va Hospital, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Beckley, WV — 4 mi; 2 — Mullens, WV — 15 mi; 3 — Pineville, WV — 23 mi; 4 — London Locks, WV — 31 mi; 5 — Pearisburg, VA — 44 mi.WVKY25 mi · 40 km1. Beckley, WV — 4 mi12. Mullens, WV — 15 mi23. Pineville, WV — 23 mi34. London Locks, WV — 31 mi45. Pearisburg, VA — 44 mi5
  1. Beckley, WV 4 mi (7 km)
  2. Mullens, WV 15 mi (24 km)
  3. Pineville, WV 23 mi (37 km)
  4. London Locks, WV 31 mi (50 km)
  5. Pearisburg, VA 44 mi (70 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.7647, -81.1942.