FrostDateCheck

Cheriton, VA 23419 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Cheriton, VA?

Zone 8a

Around 03/28 is the usual last spring frost, about 212 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/17, about 234 frost-free days later.

Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 Cheriton, not a forecast for this year.

What to do before the first frost

About 12 weeks of growing season left in Cheriton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.

Why 03/28 isn't a guarantee

03/28 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/10 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/10 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Cheriton compares

Cheriton's growing season runs about 234 days, ranking 9,804 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 90 of 1,178.

Learn more

local microclimates covers what one yard in Cheriton can differ from the 23419 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Cheriton's frost date answer different questions.