U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00441825 · Virginia

Frost Dates for Clintwood, VA

NOAA weather station Clintwood 1 W (USC00441825), Virginia · elevation 1566 ft (477 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 15only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1650% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season169 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Clintwood, VASpring: a frost after April 15 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 4 in 1 year out of 10, before October 16 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 169 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 16Frost season at Clintwood, VASpring: a frost after April 15 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 4 in 1 year out of 10, before October 16 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 169 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 16
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 15October 4
50% (typical)April 29October 16
90% (likely)April 15November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
169 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 15
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 27 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 20 (4 days later). Frost-free season 175 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 Clintwood: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 15, 20% May 9, 30% May 5, 40% May 1, 50% April 29, 60% April 26, 70% April 22, 80% April 19, 90% April 15. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 14, 2022 April 28, 2023 May 5, 2024 April 24, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 16.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 15Apr 29Apr 152021: May 142022: April 282023: May 52024: April 242025: April 182026: May 16Fall at Clintwood: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 4, 20% October 9, 30% October 11, 40% October 14, 50% October 16, 60% October 19, 70% October 22, 80% October 25, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 27, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 11, 2025 October 23.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 4Oct 16Nov 12021: October 272022: October 92023: October 232024: October 112025: October 23
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 27
2022April 28October 9
2023May 5October 23
2024April 24October 11
2025April 18October 23
2026May 16season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 169 days between the 32°F 50% dates of April 29 and October 16 frame the window in which tender crops can be grown in Clintwood. The April 29 date marks the point at which a light frost is equally likely to occur later in spring, while the October 16 date marks the point at which a light frost is equally likely to have already occurred in fall. These median dates are not frost dates themselves; they simply indicate the 50-percent odds threshold for light frost.

For a cautious planting plan, the spring date to set out tender crops is May 15, which carries a 10 % chance of a frost later, and the fall date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 4, which carries a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier. The hard-frost median dates are April 15 in spring and October 26 in fall; a hard frost (28°F) can injure plants that survive a light frost, so it is a more serious risk.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 15" 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 4" 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 Clintwood, VANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Wise, VA — 13 mi; 2 — Big Stone Gap, VA — 26 mi; 3 — Lebanon, VA — 30 mi; 4 — Richlands, VA — 39 mi; 5 — Kingsport, TN — 43 mi.TNKYNCWV25 mi · 40 km1. Wise, VA — 13 mi12. Big Stone Gap, VA — 26 mi23. Lebanon, VA — 30 mi34. Richlands, VA — 39 mi45. Kingsport, TN — 43 mi5
  1. Wise, VA 13 mi (20 km)
  2. Big Stone Gap, VA 26 mi (42 km)
  3. Lebanon, VA 30 mi (48 km)
  4. Richlands, VA 39 mi (62 km)
  5. Kingsport, TN 43 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: 37.1456, -82.4908.