U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00446955 · Virginia

Frost Dates for Pulaski, VA

NOAA weather station Pulaski 2 E (USC00446955), Virginia · elevation 2080 ft (634 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 15only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season175 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Pulaski, VASpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 25 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 25First frost ~Oct 17Frost season at Pulaski, VASpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 25 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 25First frost ~Oct 17
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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 15October 5
50% (typical)April 25October 17
90% (likely)April 9November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
175 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 22 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 23 (6 days later). Frost-free season 182 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 Pulaski: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 15, 20% May 7, 30% May 3, 40% April 29, 50% April 25, 60% April 22, 70% April 19, 80% April 15, 90% April 9. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 13, 2022 April 21, 2023 May 5, 2024 April 23, 2025 April 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 15Apr 25Apr 92021: May 132022: April 212023: May 52024: April 232025: April 17Fall at Pulaski: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 5, 20% October 9, 30% October 12, 40% October 15, 50% October 17, 60% October 20, 70% October 23, 80% October 27, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 18.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 5Oct 17Nov 12021: November 32022: October 92023: October 232024: October 18
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 13November 3
2022April 21October 9
2023May 5October 23
2024April 23October 18
2025April 17incomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

May 15 is the cautious spring date, allowing a gardener to set out tender crops with only a 10% chance of a later light frost.

The 50% light-frost dates are April 25 in spring and October 17 in fall; they mark the point where a light frost is equally likely to occur earlier or later, so a gardener should treat them as a median reference rather than a frost cutoff. The cautious fall date, October 5, gives only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, making it a good target to finish harvesting tender crops. The 90% dates—April 9 in spring and November 1 in fall—represent gambles.

The hard-frost 50% dates are April 9 and October 28, and a hard frost (28 °F) can damage 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 5" 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 Pulaski, VANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Pearisburg, VA — 16 mi; 2 — Wytheville, VA — 18 mi; 3 — Christiansburg, VA — 22 mi; 4 — near Blacksburg, VA — 23 mi; 5 — Burkes Garden, VA — 31 mi.WV25 mi · 40 km1. Pearisburg, VA — 16 mi12. Wytheville, VA — 18 mi23. Christiansburg, VA — 22 mi34. near Blacksburg, VA — 23 mi45. Burkes Garden, VA — 31 mi5
  1. Pearisburg, VA 16 mi (26 km)
  2. Wytheville, VA 18 mi (29 km)
  3. Christiansburg, VA 22 mi (35 km)
  4. near Blacksburg, VA 23 mi (37 km)
  5. Burkes Garden, VA 31 mi (49 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.0558, -80.7842.