Harrisonburg, VA 22801 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Harrisonburg, VA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/21, about 236 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/23, about 182 frost-free days later.
Harrisonburg sits in USDA Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Harrisonburg before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/09 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Harrisonburg compares
Harrisonburg's growing season runs about 182 days, ranking 24,069 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 968 of 1,178.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Harrisonburg's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Harrisonburg's dates instead of trusting one.