The Plains, VA 20198 Frost Dates
Frost dates for The Plains, VA, ZIP 20198
Around 04/17 is the usual last spring frost, about 232 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/01, about 198 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts The Plains in Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 7a around The Plains has about 9 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/03 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How The Plains compares
The Plains's growing season runs about 198 days, ranking 18,533 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 722 of 1,178.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7a and The Plains's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around The Plains's dates instead of trusting one.