Frost dates for Chesapeake, 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
March 23
typical year
Safe to plant
April 7
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 18
typical year
Growing season
240 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 | – | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | Sep 23 – Oct 7 |
| Lettuce | – | Feb 23 – Mar 16 | Sep 23 – Oct 7 |
| Radishes | – | Feb 23 – Apr 6 | Oct 7 – 21 |
| Onions | – | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 2 – 16 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 2 – 23 | Aug 26 – Sep 9 |
| Beets | – | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Sep 9 – 23 |
| Kale | Jan 12 – 26 | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Sep 9 – 23 |
| Broccoli | Jan 12 – 26 | Mar 9 – 23 | Sep 9 – 23 |
| Cabbage | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Sep 9 – 23 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 7 – 28 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 10 – 24 | Apr 7 – 21 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 3 – 17 | Apr 14 – 28 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 7 – 28 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 7 – May 5 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 7 – 28 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 7 – Sep 9 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 7 – May 5 | – |
| Basil | Mar 3 – 17 | Apr 14 – 21 | – |
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 7 | March 23 | March 5 |
| Fall frost before | November 4 | November 18 | December 7 |
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 10 (March 27 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 2.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Chesapeake
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station FENTRESS NAAS, VA US (USW00013762), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 16 miles:
23320, 23322, 23457, 27950
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.