When to plant in Covington, VA
Planting dates worked out from Covington's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 12
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 26
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
171
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Covington Fltr Plt · 2.0 km away · station 379 m, town 381 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 6 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 11 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 22 – Mar 1 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 8 |
| Peas | — | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | May 9 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 5 – May 17 | Jun 4 |
| Beet | — | Mar 29 – May 10 | May 18 |
| Potato | — | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jun 14 |
| Kale | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 11 |
| Broccoli | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | May 28 |
| Cucumber | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 1 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jun 26 |
| Winter squash | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 31 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 4 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | Jun 27 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 4 – Nov 1 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | Apr 22 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
Covington's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1961 | May 4 |
| 1962 | Apr 25 |
| 1963 | May 3 |
| 1964 | Apr 16 |
| 1965 | Apr 17 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | May 4 |
| 1968 | May 7 |
| 1969 | May 13 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1971 | May 4 |
| 1972 | Apr 28 |
| 1973 | May 18 |
| 1974 | May 8 |
| 1975 | Apr 27 |
| 1976 | May 9 |
| 1978 | May 3 |
| 1979 | Apr 30 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | May 8 |
| 1982 | May 3 |
| 1983 | May 11 |
| 1985 | May 4 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | May 8 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 23 |
| 1992 | Apr 29 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 29 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | Apr 15 |
| 2000 | Apr 27 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | Apr 16 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | Apr 18 |
| 2009 | Apr 13 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | May 1 |
| 2012 | Apr 26 |
| 2013 | Apr 22 |
| 2014 | Apr 20 |
| 2015 | Apr 13 |
| 2016 | Apr 14 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | May 2 |
| 2019 | Apr 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
| 2025 | Apr 18 |
| 2026 | Apr 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1961 | 165 |
| 1962 | 148 |
| 1963 | 143 |
| 1964 | 172 |
| 1965 | 170 |
| 1966 | 148 |
| 1967 | 161 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 157 |
| 1970 | 150 |
| 1971 | 183 |
| 1972 | 164 |
| 1973 | 152 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 158 |
| 1976 | 136 |
| 1978 | 158 |
| 1979 | 162 |
| 1980 | 156 |
| 1981 | 153 |
| 1982 | 166 |
| 1983 | 169 |
| 1985 | 155 |
| 1989 | 154 |
| 1990 | 183 |
| 1991 | 156 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 170 |
| 1995 | 170 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 145 |
| 1998 | 156 |
| 1999 | 192 |
| 2000 | 164 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 162 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 203 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 200 |
| 2008 | 183 |
| 2009 | 188 |
| 2010 | 164 |
| 2011 | 174 |
| 2012 | 192 |
| 2013 | 181 |
| 2014 | 167 |
| 2015 | 187 |
| 2016 | 205 |
| 2017 | 169 |
| 2018 | 172 |
| 2019 | 198 |
| 2021 | 192 |
| 2022 | 170 |
| 2023 | 179 |
| 2024 | 187 |
| 2025 | 186 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1961 | 18.8 °C |
| 1962 | 19.1 °C |
| 1963 | 18.7 °C |
| 1964 | 19.4 °C |
| 1965 | 19.6 °C |
| 1966 | 18.7 °C |
| 1967 | 18.6 °C |
| 1968 | 19.6 °C |
| 1969 | 19.8 °C |
| 1970 | 20.2 °C |
| 1971 | 19.2 °C |
| 1972 | 18.9 °C |
| 1973 | 19.8 °C |
| 1974 | 18.9 °C |
| 1975 | 19.7 °C |
| 1976 | 18.6 °C |
| 1978 | 20.3 °C |
| 1979 | 19.0 °C |
| 1980 | 20.1 °C |
| 1981 | 20.3 °C |
| 1982 | 19.1 °C |
| 1983 | 19.5 °C |
| 1985 | 19.6 °C |
| 1987 | 20.8 °C |
| 1989 | 20.2 °C |
| 1990 | 20.4 °C |
| 1991 | 20.5 °C |
| 1992 | 19.5 °C |
| 1993 | 20.7 °C |
| 1994 | 19.9 °C |
| 1995 | 19.4 °C |
| 1996 | 20.0 °C |
| 1997 | 17.9 °C |
| 1998 | 19.7 °C |
| 1999 | 19.4 °C |
| 2000 | 19.1 °C |
| 2001 | 19.3 °C |
| 2002 | 20.3 °C |
| 2003 | 19.3 °C |
| 2004 | 19.9 °C |
| 2005 | 19.6 °C |
| 2006 | 19.1 °C |
| 2007 | 19.9 °C |
| 2008 | 19.3 °C |
| 2009 | 19.3 °C |
| 2010 | 20.8 °C |
| 2011 | 20.1 °C |
| 2012 | 19.9 °C |
| 2013 | 19.1 °C |
| 2014 | 18.9 °C |
| 2015 | 19.8 °C |
| 2016 | 20.4 °C |
| 2017 | 18.5 °C |
| 2018 | 19.2 °C |
| 2019 | 19.3 °C |
| 2021 | 18.7 °C |
| 2022 | 18.6 °C |
| 2023 | 18.1 °C |
| 2024 | 19.7 °C |
| 2025 | 19.5 °C |
| 2026 | 19.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1961, Covington's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Covington Fltr Plt (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.