Newport News, VA 23690 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Newport News, VA?
Around 04/01 is the usual last spring frost, about 216 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/09, about 221 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Newport News in Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 Newport News before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/01 isn't a guarantee
04/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/18 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 Newport News compares
Newport News's growing season runs about 221 days, ranking 12,435 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 264 of 1,178.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Newport News's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Newport News can differ from the 23690 normal.