When to plant in Alderson, WV
Planting dates worked out from Alderson'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 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 20
1 year in 10 by Oct 12
Frost-free days
175
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Alderson · 1.4 km away · station 473 m, town 472 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 20 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 6 |
| Peas | — | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | May 10 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | Jun 2 |
| Beet | — | Mar 27 – May 8 | May 16 |
| Potato | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 12 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 9 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | May 26 |
| 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 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 25 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | Apr 23 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
Alderson'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 |
|---|---|
| 1946 | May 9 |
| 1947 | May 12 |
| 1948 | Apr 18 |
| 1950 | Apr 23 |
| 1952 | Apr 18 |
| 1953 | Apr 22 |
| 1954 | May 4 |
| 1955 | Apr 10 |
| 1956 | May 25 |
| 1957 | May 8 |
| 1958 | Apr 18 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 13 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 7 |
| 2012 | Apr 26 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 14 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | May 2 |
| 2019 | Apr 17 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2022 | Apr 22 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
| 2025 | Apr 18 |
| 2026 | May 3 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1946 | 157 |
| 1950 | 186 |
| 1952 | 168 |
| 1953 | 144 |
| 1954 | 156 |
| 1955 | 183 |
| 1956 | 118 |
| 1957 | 163 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 200 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 188 |
| 2010 | 163 |
| 2011 | 198 |
| 2012 | 167 |
| 2013 | 158 |
| 2014 | 169 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 194 |
| 2017 | 200 |
| 2018 | 169 |
| 2019 | 183 |
| 2020 | 156 |
| 2021 | 192 |
| 2022 | 169 |
| 2023 | 180 |
| 2024 | 177 |
| 2025 | 181 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1946 | 19.2 °C |
| 1948 | 19.4 °C |
| 1950 | 18.4 °C |
| 1951 | 19.2 °C |
| 1952 | 19.6 °C |
| 1953 | 19.6 °C |
| 1954 | 19.6 °C |
| 1955 | 20.2 °C |
| 1957 | 19.2 °C |
| 1958 | 18.9 °C |
| 1959 | 20.2 °C |
| 2005 | 19.4 °C |
| 2006 | 18.9 °C |
| 2007 | 19.4 °C |
| 2008 | 18.7 °C |
| 2009 | 18.9 °C |
| 2010 | 20.5 °C |
| 2011 | 19.9 °C |
| 2012 | 19.5 °C |
| 2013 | 18.6 °C |
| 2014 | 18.9 °C |
| 2015 | 19.7 °C |
| 2016 | 20.0 °C |
| 2017 | 18.8 °C |
| 2018 | 19.8 °C |
| 2019 | 19.9 °C |
| 2020 | 18.2 °C |
| 2021 | 18.6 °C |
| 2022 | 18.7 °C |
| 2023 | 18.3 °C |
| 2024 | 19.9 °C |
| 2025 | 19.5 °C |
| 2026 | 19.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1946, Alderson's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Alderson (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.