When to plant in Sterling, VA
Planting dates worked out from Sterling's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 14
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 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
184
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Wfo Sterling · 6.0 km away · station 88 m, town 89 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 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 8 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 13 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 18 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 4 |
| Peas | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | May 12 |
| Bush beans | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jun 26 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 31 |
| Beet | — | Mar 28 – May 9 | May 17 |
| 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 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 3 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jun 28 |
| Winter squash | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 6 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 23 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 4 – Nov 1 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | Apr 25 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Sterling'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 |
|---|---|
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | May 2 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | May 9 |
| 1982 | Apr 30 |
| 1983 | May 11 |
| 1984 | May 17 |
| 1985 | May 4 |
| 1986 | May 4 |
| 1987 | Apr 29 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 |
| 1991 | Apr 23 |
| 1992 | May 21 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 15 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 14 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | May 1 |
| 2000 | May 2 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 25 |
| 2004 | Apr 17 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 16 |
| 2009 | Apr 14 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 7 |
| 2012 | Mar 28 |
| 2013 | Apr 6 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 13 |
| 2016 | Apr 14 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 18 |
| 2019 | Apr 3 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 11 |
| 2023 | Apr 9 |
| 2025 | Apr 9 |
| 2026 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 149 |
| 1979 | 160 |
| 1980 | 149 |
| 1981 | 147 |
| 1982 | 169 |
| 1983 | 136 |
| 1984 | 138 |
| 1985 | 155 |
| 1986 | 155 |
| 1987 | 162 |
| 1988 | 162 |
| 1989 | 153 |
| 1991 | 167 |
| 1992 | 138 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 165 |
| 1995 | 184 |
| 1996 | 143 |
| 1997 | 140 |
| 1998 | 156 |
| 1999 | 160 |
| 2000 | 158 |
| 2001 | 151 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 183 |
| 2005 | 179 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 197 |
| 2008 | 186 |
| 2009 | 203 |
| 2010 | 216 |
| 2011 | 205 |
| 2012 | 198 |
| 2013 | 201 |
| 2014 | 203 |
| 2015 | 187 |
| 2016 | 194 |
| 2017 | 215 |
| 2018 | 186 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2020 | 173 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 191 |
| 2023 | 206 |
| 2025 | 211 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 19.0 °C |
| 1979 | 18.8 °C |
| 1980 | 19.9 °C |
| 1981 | 19.0 °C |
| 1982 | 18.5 °C |
| 1983 | 19.1 °C |
| 1984 | 18.7 °C |
| 1985 | 19.4 °C |
| 1986 | 19.7 °C |
| 1987 | 19.8 °C |
| 1988 | 19.3 °C |
| 1989 | 19.2 °C |
| 1991 | 20.5 °C |
| 1992 | 18.2 °C |
| 1993 | 19.9 °C |
| 1994 | 19.4 °C |
| 1995 | 19.6 °C |
| 1996 | 19.2 °C |
| 1997 | 18.1 °C |
| 1998 | 19.9 °C |
| 1999 | 19.1 °C |
| 2000 | 18.6 °C |
| 2001 | 18.7 °C |
| 2002 | 19.6 °C |
| 2003 | 18.8 °C |
| 2004 | 19.8 °C |
| 2005 | 19.2 °C |
| 2006 | 19.4 °C |
| 2007 | 19.7 °C |
| 2008 | 19.5 °C |
| 2009 | 19.7 °C |
| 2010 | 21.6 °C |
| 2011 | 21.4 °C |
| 2012 | 20.9 °C |
| 2013 | 19.9 °C |
| 2014 | 19.8 °C |
| 2016 | 21.1 °C |
| 2017 | 20.5 °C |
| 2018 | 20.9 °C |
| 2019 | 21.9 °C |
| 2020 | 20.3 °C |
| 2021 | 20.7 °C |
| 2022 | 20.6 °C |
| 2023 | 20.7 °C |
| 2024 | 21.7 °C |
| 2025 | 20.9 °C |
| 2026 | 21.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1978, Sterling's last spring frost has come about 6 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 14 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Wfo Sterling (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.