Salem, VA 24018 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Salem, VA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/03, about 218 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/01, about 210 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Salem 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 9 weeks of growing season left in Salem before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/03 isn't a guarantee
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 Salem compares
Salem's growing season runs about 210 days, ranking 14,975 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 423 of 1,178.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Salem can differ from the 24018 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Salem's frost date answer different questions.