Richmond, VA 23222 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Richmond, VA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/03, about 218 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/04, about 215 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 10 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
04/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/18 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Richmond compares
About 215 days separate Richmond's last and first frost, putting it 13,957 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within VA, it ranks 348 of 1,178.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Richmond can differ from the 23222 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Richmond's frost date answer different questions.