When to plant in Norton, VA
Planting dates worked out from Norton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 8
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 17
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
173
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Wise Virginia · 7.3 km away · station 771 m, town 651 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 13 – Mar 27 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 18 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 4 |
| Peas | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | May 5 |
| Bush beans | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 20 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 31 |
| Beet | — | Mar 25 – May 6 | May 14 |
| Potato | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 10 |
| Kale | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 7 |
| Broccoli | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | May 24 |
| Cucumber | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 27 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 22 |
| Winter squash | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 23 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| Basil | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 4 |
Norton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Mar 28 |
| 2000 | Apr 23 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Mar 31 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 12 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 5 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 206 |
| 2000 | 166 |
| 2001 | 171 |
| 2002 | 162 |
| 2003 | 184 |
| 2007 | 196 |
| 2008 | 171 |
| 2009 | 188 |
| 2010 | 171 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2012 | 180 |
| 2013 | 181 |
| 2014 | 171 |
| 2015 | 175 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 18.6 °C |
| 2000 | 18.1 °C |
| 2001 | 18.5 °C |
| 2002 | 19.1 °C |
| 2003 | 18.5 °C |
| 2006 | 18.0 °C |
| 2007 | 18.9 °C |
| 2008 | 18.1 °C |
| 2009 | 18.1 °C |
| 2010 | 19.9 °C |
| 2011 | 19.2 °C |
| 2012 | 18.9 °C |
| 2013 | 18.2 °C |
| 2014 | 18.7 °C |
| 2015 | 19.4 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Wise Virginia (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.