Roanoke, VA 24024 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Roanoke, VA?
Around 04/03 is the usual last spring frost, about 218 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/01, about 210 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Roanoke 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 Roanoke 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 Roanoke compares
Roanoke's growing season runs about 210 days, ranking 14,946 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within VA, it ranks 405 of 1,178.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Roanoke's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Roanoke's dates instead of trusting one.