U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00462920 · West Virginia

Frost Dates for Fairmont, WV

NOAA weather station Fairmont (USC00462920), West Virginia · elevation 1300 ft (396 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 9only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season192 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Fairmont, WVSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 192 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 28Frost season at Fairmont, WVSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 192 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 28
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 9October 14
50% (typical)April 18October 28
90% (likely)April 2November 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
192 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 5
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 6

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 17 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 31 (3 days later). Frost-free season 194 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 Fairmont: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 9, 20% May 2, 30% April 26, 40% April 22, 50% April 18, 60% April 16, 70% April 12, 80% April 8, 90% April 2. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 28, 2023 April 25, 2024 April 22.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 9Apr 18Apr 22021: April 232022: April 282023: April 252024: April 22Fall at Fairmont: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 14, 20% October 19, 30% October 22, 40% October 25, 50% October 28, 60% October 31, 70% November 1, 80% November 4, 90% November 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 19, 2023 October 23.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 14Oct 28Nov 82021: November 32022: October 192023: 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
2021April 23November 3
2022April 28October 19
2023April 25October 23
2024April 22incomplete record
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on the early spring date of April 2 carries a 90 % chance of a light frost, making it a gamble for growers in Fairmont. The cautious alternative is the later date of May 9, when only a 10 % chance of a light frost remains.

The 50 % light-frost dates are April 18 in spring and October 28 in fall; at those points there is an even chance of a frost occurring, but they are not themselves frost dates. For a cautious fall schedule, the date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 14, which has a 10 % chance of a frost arriving earlier, while extending into November 8 would involve a 90 % chance and thus a gamble.

Hard frosts at 28 °F are more damaging than light frosts at 32 °F, so the 28 °F median dates of April 5 and November 6 are especially important reference points for gardeners.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 9" 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 14" 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 Fairmont, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Morgantown, WV — 17 mi; 2 — Waynesburg, PA — 30 mi; 3 — Buckhannon, WV — 33 mi; 4 — West Union, WV — 36 mi; 5 — Parsons, WV — 38 mi.WVPAOHMDVA25 mi · 40 km1. near Morgantown, WV — 17 mi12. Waynesburg, PA — 30 mi23. Buckhannon, WV — 33 mi34. West Union, WV — 36 mi45. Parsons, WV — 38 mi5
  1. near Morgantown, WV 17 mi (28 km)
  2. Waynesburg, PA 30 mi (49 km)
  3. Buckhannon, WV 33 mi (54 km)
  4. West Union, WV 36 mi (58 km)
  5. Parsons, WV 38 mi (61 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: 39.4583, -80.1353.