Richmond, VA 23039 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Richmond, VA, ZIP 23039
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/17, about 232 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/27, about 191 frost-free days later.
Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Richmond, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 7a around Richmond 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.
Why 04/17 isn't a guarantee
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Richmond compares
Richmond's growing season runs about 191 days, ranking 20,609 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 806 of 1,178.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Richmond can differ from the 23039 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7a and Richmond's frost date answer different questions.