Frost dates for Charlottesville, VA
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
April 2
typical year
Safe to plant
April 14
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 10
typical year
Growing season
222 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 5 – 19 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 19 – Mar 12 | Sep 15 – 29 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 5 – 26 | Sep 15 – 29 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 5 – Apr 16 | Sep 29 – Oct 13 |
| Onions | – | Mar 5 – 19 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 12 – 26 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 12 – Apr 2 | Aug 18 – Sep 1 |
| Beets | – | Mar 5 – 19 | Sep 1 – 15 |
| Kale | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Mar 5 – 19 | Sep 1 – 15 |
| Broccoli | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Sep 1 – 15 |
| Cabbage | Jan 8 – 22 | Mar 5 – 19 | Sep 1 – 15 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 29 – Oct 20 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 14 – 28 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 10 – 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 14 – May 5 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 14 – May 12 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 14 – May 5 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 14 – Sep 1 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 14 – May 12 | – |
| Basil | Mar 10 – 24 | Apr 21 – 28 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | April 14 | April 2 | March 16 |
| Fall frost before | October 29 | November 10 | November 28 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around March 22 (April 4 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 22.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Charlottesville
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station CHARLOTTESVILLE 2W, VA US (USC00441593), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 5 zip codes, all within 14 miles:
22903, 22904, 22908, 22931, 22959
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.