When to plant in Keyser, WV
Planting dates worked out from Keyser's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 15
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 29
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
173
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Keyser 2 Ssw · 3.4 km away · station 294 m, town 246 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 20 – Apr 3 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 14 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 25 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 11 |
| Peas | — | Mar 21 – Apr 18 | May 15 |
| Bush beans | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jun 27 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jun 7 |
| Beet | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 21 |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 17 |
| Kale | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 14 |
| Broccoli | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | May 31 |
| Cucumber | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 4 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jun 29 |
| Winter squash | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Aug 3 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jul 7 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 30 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 4 – Nov 1 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 21 – Apr 18 | Apr 28 |
| Basil | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 11 |
Keyser'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | Apr 22 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | Apr 27 |
| 2000 | Apr 15 |
| 2001 | Apr 30 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 2 |
| 2004 | Apr 17 |
| 2005 | May 6 |
| 2006 | Apr 30 |
| 2007 | May 8 |
| 2008 | Apr 18 |
| 2009 | May 20 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 7 |
| 2012 | Apr 14 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | Apr 25 |
| 2015 | Apr 28 |
| 2016 | Apr 17 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | Apr 22 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | Apr 25 |
| 2022 | May 10 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
| 2025 | Apr 18 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 141 |
| 1997 | 176 |
| 1998 | 183 |
| 1999 | 170 |
| 2000 | 175 |
| 2001 | 160 |
| 2002 | 147 |
| 2003 | 183 |
| 2004 | 183 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2006 | 166 |
| 2007 | 173 |
| 2008 | 183 |
| 2009 | 151 |
| 2010 | 171 |
| 2011 | 199 |
| 2012 | 181 |
| 2013 | 158 |
| 2014 | 196 |
| 2015 | 172 |
| 2016 | 191 |
| 2017 | 159 |
| 2018 | 179 |
| 2019 | 166 |
| 2020 | 128 |
| 2021 | 191 |
| 2022 | 151 |
| 2023 | 179 |
| 2024 | 177 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 18.2 °C |
| 1997 | 17.0 °C |
| 1998 | 19.5 °C |
| 1999 | 19.2 °C |
| 2000 | 18.7 °C |
| 2001 | 18.5 °C |
| 2002 | 19.9 °C |
| 2003 | 18.6 °C |
| 2004 | 19.6 °C |
| 2005 | 19.6 °C |
| 2006 | 19.1 °C |
| 2007 | 19.1 °C |
| 2008 | 18.6 °C |
| 2009 | 18.4 °C |
| 2010 | 20.6 °C |
| 2011 | 20.3 °C |
| 2012 | 19.8 °C |
| 2013 | 18.8 °C |
| 2014 | 18.6 °C |
| 2015 | 19.5 °C |
| 2016 | 19.8 °C |
| 2017 | 19.2 °C |
| 2018 | 19.4 °C |
| 2019 | 20.3 °C |
| 2020 | 19.2 °C |
| 2021 | 19.5 °C |
| 2022 | 19.1 °C |
| 2023 | 18.5 °C |
| 2024 | 20.3 °C |
| 2025 | 19.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1996, Keyser'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 Keyser 2 Ssw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.