Frost dates Virginia Virginia Beach

Frost dates in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Last spring frost Mar 29 First fall frost Nov 12 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Virginia Beach is Mar 29 and the average first fall frost is Nov 12, measured at OCEANA NAS, 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 frostMar 2932°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostNov 1232°F, 50% probability
Days between them228average 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 13Nov 30
50%Mar 29Nov 12
10%Apr 11Nov 1

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Mar 29, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 11. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Nov 1.

Measured at: OCEANA NAS, VA (NOAA station USW00013769), about 4 miles away at 23 ft, 20 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • NORFOLK INTL AP, VA (NOAA station USW00013737), about 12 miles away at 30 ft, 30 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 17, first fall frost Nov 23
  • NORFOLK S, VA (NOAA station USC00446147), about 14 miles away at 10 ft, 16 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 23, first fall frost Nov 16

Seed-starting schedule for Virginia Beach, VA

Counted from a last frost date of Mar 29 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Dec 2114 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekDec 21 to Jan 4
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionDec 21 to Jan 4
  2. Week of Dec 2813 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyDec 28 to Jan 4
  3. Week of Jan 412 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryJan 4 to Jan 18
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachJan 4 to Jan 18
  4. Week of Jan 1810 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliJan 18 to Feb 1
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutJan 18 to Feb 1
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageJan 18 to Feb 1
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleJan 18 to Feb 1
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiJan 18 to Feb 1
  5. Week of Jan 259 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceJan 25 to Feb 1
  6. Week of Feb 18 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerFeb 1 to Feb 15
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantFeb 1 to Feb 15
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperFeb 1 to Feb 15
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardFeb 1 to Feb 15
  7. Week of Feb 87 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoFeb 8 to Feb 22
  8. Week of Feb 156 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilFeb 15 to Mar 1
    • Set transplants outSpinachFeb 15 to Mar 8
  9. Week of Mar 14 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 1 to Mar 15
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 1
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 1 to Mar 15
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 1 to Mar 15
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 1 to Mar 15
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 1
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 1
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 1
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 1
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 1 to Mar 8
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 1
  10. Week of Mar 83 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberMar 8 to Mar 15
    • Set transplants outParsleyMar 8 to Mar 15
  11. Week of Mar 152 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonMar 15 to Mar 22
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinMar 15 to Mar 22
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashMar 15 to Mar 22
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashMar 15 to Mar 22
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniMar 15 to Mar 22
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoMar 15 to Mar 22
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Mar 15
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Mar 15
  12. Week of Mar 29Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Mar 29
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Mar 29
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Mar 29
  13. Week of Apr 51 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoApr 5 to Apr 12
    • Set transplants outCucumberApr 5 to Apr 12
    • Set transplants outTomatoApr 5 to Apr 12
  14. Week of Apr 122 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Apr 12
    • Set transplants outEggplantApr 12 to Apr 19
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Apr 12
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Apr 12
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Apr 12
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Apr 12
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Apr 12
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Apr 12

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.

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