U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00461215 · West Virginia

Frost Dates for Buckeye, WV

NOAA weather station Buckeye (USC00461215), West Virginia · elevation 2123 ft (647 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 22only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season161 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Buckeye, WVSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 3 in half of the years, after May 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 14 in half of the years, before October 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 161 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 3First frost ~Oct 14Frost season at Buckeye, WVSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 3 in half of the years, after May 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 14 in half of the years, before October 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 161 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 3First frost ~Oct 14
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.Today

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 22October 2
50% (typical)May 3October 14
90% (likely)April 19October 27
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
161 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 21
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 23

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 3 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 18 (4 days later). Frost-free season 166 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 Buckeye: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 22, 20% May 16, 30% May 12, 40% May 7, 50% May 3, 60% April 30, 70% April 27, 80% April 23, 90% April 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 14, 2022 April 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 22May 3Apr 192021: May 142022: April 29Fall at Buckeye: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 2, 20% October 6, 30% October 9, 40% October 12, 50% October 14, 60% October 17, 70% October 20, 80% October 23, 90% October 27. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 20, 2022 October 9.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 2Oct 14Oct 272021: October 202022: October 9
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 14October 20
2022April 29October 9
2023no datano data
2024no datano data
2025no datano data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

May 22 is the cautious spring date in Buckeye, carrying a ten-percent chance of a light frost later and allowing tender crops to be set out with relatively low risk. This date signals the point after which the likelihood of a frost drops sharply, giving gardeners a reliable window to move seedlings outdoors.

The 50% light-frost date is May 3, representing an even chance of a light frost, while the 50% fall date is October 14, also reflecting an even chance. October 2 is the cautious fall date, with only a ten-percent chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, so it marks the latest reasonable time to finish harvesting tender crops. Hard frosts at 28 °F are more damaging than light frosts at 32 °F, making the median hard-frost dates—April 21 in spring and October 23 in fall—especially relevant for protecting vulnerable plants. The two 32 °F 50% dates are 161 days apart, based on a 28-year 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 22" 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 October 2" 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 Buckeye, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Marlinton, WV — 3 mi; 2 — Snowshoe, WV — 16 mi; 3 — Gathright Dam, VA — 19 mi; 4 — Covington, VA — 27 mi; 5 — Lewisburg, WV — 27 mi.WVVA25 mi · 40 km1. Marlinton, WV — 3 mi12. Snowshoe, WV — 16 mi23. Gathright Dam, VA — 19 mi34. Covington, VA — 27 mi45. Lewisburg, WV — 27 mi5
  1. Marlinton, WV 3 mi (5 km)
  2. Snowshoe, WV 16 mi (26 km)
  3. Gathright Dam, VA 19 mi (31 km)
  4. Covington, VA 27 mi (44 km)
  5. Lewisburg, WV 27 mi (44 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: 38.1872, -80.1336.