Cheriton, VA 23482 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Cheriton, VA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/28, roughly 212 days out. 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
About 234 days separate Cheriton's last and first frost, putting it 9,806 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within VA, it ranks 92 of 1,178.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Cheriton can differ from the 23482 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Cheriton's frost date answer different questions.