Frost dates Virginia Norfolk

Frost dates in Norfolk, Virginia

Last spring frost Mar 23 First fall frost Nov 16 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Norfolk is Mar 23 and the average first fall frost is Nov 16, measured at NORFOLK S, about 4 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostMar 2332°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostNov 1632°F, 50% probability
Days between them238average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Mar 7Dec 1
50%Mar 23Nov 16
10%Apr 6Nov 4

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Mar 23, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 6. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Nov 4.

Measured at: NORFOLK S, VA (NOAA station USC00446147), about 4 miles away at 10 ft, 16 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • NORFOLK INTL AP, VA (NOAA station USW00013737), about 6 miles away at 30 ft, 30 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 17, first fall frost Nov 23
  • NORFOLK NAS, VA (NOAA station USW00013750), about 7 miles away at 17 ft, 24 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 16, first fall frost Nov 26

Seed-starting schedule for Norfolk, VA

Counted from a last frost date of Mar 23 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Dec 1514 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekDec 15 to Dec 29
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionDec 15 to Dec 29
  2. Week of Dec 2213 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyDec 22 to Dec 29
  3. Week of Dec 2912 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryDec 29 to Jan 12
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachDec 29 to Jan 12
  4. Week of Jan 1210 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliJan 12 to Jan 26
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutJan 12 to Jan 26
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageJan 12 to Jan 26
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleJan 12 to Jan 26
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiJan 12 to Jan 26
  5. Week of Jan 199 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceJan 19 to Jan 26
  6. Week of Jan 268 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerJan 26 to Feb 9
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantJan 26 to Feb 9
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperJan 26 to Feb 9
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardJan 26 to Feb 9
  7. Week of Feb 27 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoFeb 2 to Feb 16
  8. Week of Feb 96 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilFeb 9 to Feb 23
    • Set transplants outSpinachFeb 9 to Mar 2
  9. Week of Feb 234 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishFeb 23 to Mar 9
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Feb 23
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipFeb 23 to Mar 9
    • Set transplants outBroccoliFeb 23 to Mar 9
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutFeb 23 to Mar 9
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Feb 23
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Feb 23
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Feb 23
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Feb 23
    • Set transplants outLettuceFeb 23 to Mar 2
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Feb 23
  10. Week of Mar 23 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberMar 2 to Mar 9
    • Set transplants outParsleyMar 2 to Mar 9
  11. Week of Mar 92 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonMar 9 to Mar 16
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinMar 9 to Mar 16
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashMar 9 to Mar 16
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashMar 9 to Mar 16
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniMar 9 to Mar 16
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoMar 9 to Mar 16
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Mar 9
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Mar 9
  12. Week of Mar 23Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Mar 23
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Mar 23
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Mar 23
  13. Week of Mar 301 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoMar 30 to Apr 6
    • Set transplants outCucumberMar 30 to Apr 6
    • Set transplants outTomatoMar 30 to Apr 6
  14. Week of Apr 62 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Apr 6
    • Set transplants outEggplantApr 6 to Apr 13
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Apr 6
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Apr 6
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Apr 6
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Apr 6
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Apr 6
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Apr 6

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

More in Virginia

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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