Smithfield, VA 23436 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Smithfield, VA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/27, roughly 211 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/15, about 233 frost-free days later.
Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 Smithfield, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 11 weeks of growing season left in Smithfield before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/27 isn't a guarantee
03/27 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. 04/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Smithfield compares
Smithfield's growing season runs about 233 days, ranking 9,882 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 101 of 1,178.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Smithfield's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Smithfield can differ from the 23436 normal.