Richmond, VA 23114 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Richmond, VA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/17, roughly 232 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/27, about 191 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Richmond in Zone 7b (5 to 10°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
About 9 weeks of growing season left in Richmond 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
04/17 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
About 191 days separate Richmond's last and first frost, putting it 20,612 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within VA, it ranks 809 of 1,178.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Richmond's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Richmond's dates instead of trusting one.