U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00466867 · West Virginia

Frost Dates for Parsons, WV

NOAA weather station Parsons 3 SE (USC00466867), West Virginia · elevation 1775 ft (541 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 11only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season182 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Parsons, WVSpring: a frost after April 8 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 24Frost season at Parsons, WVSpring: a frost after April 8 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 24
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 11October 11
50% (typical)April 24October 24
90% (likely)April 8November 5
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
182 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 10
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 22 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 27 (3 days later). Frost-free season 186 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 Parsons: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 11, 20% May 4, 30% April 30, 40% April 27, 50% April 24, 60% April 21, 70% April 18, 80% April 14, 90% April 8.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 11Apr 24Apr 8Fall at Parsons: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 11, 20% October 15, 30% October 19, 40% October 22, 50% October 24, 60% October 27, 70% October 30, 80% November 1, 90% November 5.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 11Oct 24Nov 5
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.

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on April 8 in Parsons is a gamble, because there is a 90 % chance of a light frost later than that day. The cautious spring date for setting out these crops is May 11, when only a 10 % chance of a later frost remains.

April 24 is the 50 % date for light frost in spring, indicating a 50 % chance of a frost later than that day, and October 24 serves the same role for fall, indicating a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than that day. For a careful schedule, the fall cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 11, when the chance of an earlier frost is only 10 % and the odds of a later frost are high.

The hard-frost median dates are April 10 in spring and November 1 in fall; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost, making those thresholds more critical for garden planning.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 11" 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 11" 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 Parsons, WVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Elkins, WV — 18 mi; 2 — Oakland, MD — 27 mi; 3 — Buckhannon, WV — 32 mi; 4 — Fairmont, WV — 38 mi; 5 — Bartow, WV — 38 mi.VAMDPAOH25 mi · 40 km1. Elkins, WV — 18 mi12. Oakland, MD — 27 mi23. Buckhannon, WV — 32 mi34. Fairmont, WV — 38 mi45. Bartow, WV — 38 mi5
  1. Elkins, WV 18 mi (28 km)
  2. Oakland, MD 27 mi (43 km)
  3. Buckhannon, WV 32 mi (52 km)
  4. Fairmont, WV 38 mi (61 km)
  5. Bartow, WV 38 mi (61 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 39.0736, -79.6339.