When to plant in Raven, VA
Planting dates worked out from Raven's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 16
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 15
1 year in 10 by Oct 2
Frost-free days
163
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Richlands · 5.5 km away · station 582 m, town 581 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 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 |
| Peas | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | May 13 |
| Bush beans | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jun 28 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jun 8 |
| Beet | — | Apr 2 – May 14 | May 22 |
| Potato | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 18 |
| Kale | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 1 |
| Cucumber | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jun 30 |
| Winter squash | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 1 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 1 – Oct 29 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Apr 26 |
| Basil | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 12 |
Raven'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 |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Apr 20 |
| 1991 | Apr 26 |
| 1992 | Apr 30 |
| 1993 | Apr 29 |
| 1994 | Apr 25 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 15 |
| 2000 | Apr 28 |
| 2001 | May 14 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | May 5 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 18 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | May 19 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 15 |
| 2012 | Apr 25 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | Apr 24 |
| 2015 | Apr 28 |
| 2016 | Apr 17 |
| 2017 | Apr 10 |
| 2018 | May 1 |
| 2019 | Apr 16 |
| 2020 | May 11 |
| 2021 | May 13 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | May 4 |
| 2024 | Apr 24 |
| 2025 | Apr 18 |
| 2026 | May 4 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 182 |
| 1991 | 163 |
| 1992 | 153 |
| 1993 | 154 |
| 1997 | 151 |
| 1999 | 160 |
| 2000 | 162 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2003 | 161 |
| 2004 | 164 |
| 2005 | 174 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 185 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 152 |
| 2010 | 157 |
| 2011 | 189 |
| 2012 | 187 |
| 2013 | 158 |
| 2014 | 163 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2016 | 188 |
| 2017 | 190 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 184 |
| 2020 | 158 |
| 2021 | 166 |
| 2022 | 170 |
| 2023 | 172 |
| 2024 | 170 |
| 2025 | 187 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 18.1 °C |
| 1991 | 19.0 °C |
| 1992 | 17.4 °C |
| 1993 | 18.5 °C |
| 1994 | 18.2 °C |
| 1996 | 17.6 °C |
| 1997 | 16.4 °C |
| 1998 | 18.8 °C |
| 1999 | 18.4 °C |
| 2000 | 17.9 °C |
| 2001 | 18.1 °C |
| 2003 | 18.1 °C |
| 2004 | 18.0 °C |
| 2005 | 18.4 °C |
| 2006 | 17.9 °C |
| 2007 | 18.5 °C |
| 2008 | 17.7 °C |
| 2009 | 17.9 °C |
| 2010 | 19.6 °C |
| 2011 | 19.1 °C |
| 2012 | 18.8 °C |
| 2013 | 18.1 °C |
| 2014 | 18.1 °C |
| 2015 | 18.9 °C |
| 2016 | 19.1 °C |
| 2017 | 18.6 °C |
| 2018 | 19.5 °C |
| 2019 | 19.6 °C |
| 2020 | 18.0 °C |
| 2021 | 18.2 °C |
| 2022 | 18.5 °C |
| 2023 | 18.2 °C |
| 2024 | 19.4 °C |
| 2025 | 19.2 °C |
| 2026 | 19.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1990, Raven's last spring frost has come about 1 day 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 Richlands (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.