Frost dates Virginia Arlington

Frost dates in Arlington, Virginia

Last spring frost Apr 9 First fall frost Oct 31 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Arlington is Apr 9 and the average first fall frost is Oct 31, measured at DALECARLIA RSVR, about 4 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostApr 932°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostOct 3132°F, 50% probability
Days between them205average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Mar 27Nov 13
50%Apr 9Oct 31
10%Apr 26Oct 16

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Apr 9, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 26. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 16.

Measured at: DALECARLIA RSVR, MD (NOAA station USC00182325), about 4 miles away at 150 ft, 24 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • WASHINGTON REAGAN AP, VA (NOAA station USW00013743), about 4 miles away at 10 ft, 27 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 24, first fall frost Nov 18
  • NATL ARBORETUM DC, MD (NOAA station USC00186350), about 8 miles away at 50 ft, 29 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 29, first fall frost Nov 8

Seed-starting schedule for Arlington, VA

Counted from a last frost date of Apr 9 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Jan 114 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekJan 1 to Jan 15
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionJan 1 to Jan 15
  2. Week of Jan 813 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyJan 8 to Jan 15
  3. Week of Jan 1512 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryJan 15 to Jan 29
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachJan 15 to Jan 29
  4. Week of Jan 2910 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliJan 29 to Feb 12
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutJan 29 to Feb 12
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageJan 29 to Feb 12
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleJan 29 to Feb 12
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiJan 29 to Feb 12
  5. Week of Feb 59 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceFeb 5 to Feb 12
  6. Week of Feb 128 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerFeb 12 to Feb 26
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantFeb 12 to Feb 26
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperFeb 12 to Feb 26
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardFeb 12 to Feb 26
  7. Week of Feb 197 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoFeb 19 to Mar 5
  8. Week of Feb 266 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilFeb 26 to Mar 12
    • Set transplants outSpinachFeb 26 to Mar 19
  9. Week of Mar 124 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 12 to Mar 26
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 12
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 12 to Mar 26
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 12 to Mar 26
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 12 to Mar 26
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 12
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 12
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 12
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 12
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 12 to Mar 19
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 12
  10. Week of Mar 193 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberMar 19 to Mar 26
    • Set transplants outParsleyMar 19 to Mar 26
  11. Week of Mar 262 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonMar 26 to Apr 2
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinMar 26 to Apr 2
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashMar 26 to Apr 2
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashMar 26 to Apr 2
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniMar 26 to Apr 2
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoMar 26 to Apr 2
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Mar 26
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Mar 26
  12. Week of Apr 9Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Apr 9
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Apr 9
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Apr 9
  13. Week of Apr 161 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoApr 16 to Apr 23
    • Set transplants outCucumberApr 16 to Apr 23
    • Set transplants outTomatoApr 16 to Apr 23
  14. Week of Apr 232 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Apr 23
    • Set transplants outEggplantApr 23 to Apr 30
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Apr 23
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Apr 23
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Apr 23
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Apr 23
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Apr 23
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Apr 23

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

More in Virginia

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

← Frost dates in Virginia

Free on iOS and Android

Turn the dates into a plan.

Gardned builds a planting plan for your own beds, matched to your climate and conditions.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play