Frost dates in Richmond, Virginia

NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.

Short answer

The average last spring frost in Richmond is April 3, and the average first fall frost is November 4, from NOAA's Richmond Intl Airport station, 9 miles from the middle of Richmond. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after April 18, and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 215 frost-free days. Richmond is in USDA planting zone 7b.

Weather stations around Richmond

The first row is the date most people in Richmond go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.

Station	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Frost-free
Richmond Intl Airport 9 mi away, 164 ft	April 3 1 in 10 after April 18	November 4 1 in 10 by October 23	215 days
Sandston 11 mi away, 165 ft	April 7 1 in 10 after April 21	November 1 1 in 10 by October 22	208 days
Ashland Hanover Co Muni Airport 12 mi away, 205 ft	April 10 1 in 10 after April 29	October 31 1 in 10 by October 17	204 days
Ashland 15 mi away, 220 ft	April 10 1 in 10 after April 30	October 29 1 in 10 by October 16	202 days
Hopewell 19 mi away, 40 ft	March 31 1 in 10 after April 14	November 6 1 in 10 by October 26	220 days

Distances are from the middle of Richmond as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 23220, at the middle of the city.

Your exact ZIP code

Richmond covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.

How these dates work

Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.

The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.

More frost dates

All of Virginia, station by station.

Other Virginia cities: Virginia Beach · Chesapeake · Norfolk · Newport News · Alexandria