When to plant in Oak Hill, WV
Planting dates worked out from Oak Hill'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 19
1 year in 10 by Oct 8
Frost-free days
174
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Oak Hill · 0.2 km away · station 622 m, town 614 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 18 – Apr 15 | May 12 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | Jun 2 |
| Beet | — | Mar 28 – May 9 | May 17 |
| 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 5 – Nov 2 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | Apr 25 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
Oak Hill'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 |
|---|---|
| 1942 | Apr 22 |
| 1943 | May 3 |
| 1944 | May 8 |
| 1945 | May 12 |
| 1946 | May 9 |
| 1947 | May 10 |
| 1948 | Apr 10 |
| 1951 | Apr 24 |
| 1952 | May 14 |
| 1953 | Apr 28 |
| 1954 | Apr 13 |
| 1955 | Apr 9 |
| 1956 | May 17 |
| 1957 | May 6 |
| 1958 | May 8 |
| 1959 | Apr 24 |
| 1960 | May 15 |
| 1961 | May 28 |
| 1962 | Apr 22 |
| 1963 | May 3 |
| 1964 | Apr 16 |
| 1965 | Apr 17 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | Apr 29 |
| 1968 | May 22 |
| 1969 | Apr 25 |
| 1970 | May 8 |
| 1971 | May 1 |
| 1972 | May 12 |
| 1973 | May 19 |
| 1974 | May 8 |
| 1975 | Apr 27 |
| 1977 | May 12 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | Apr 11 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | Apr 21 |
| 1982 | May 3 |
| 1983 | May 28 |
| 1984 | May 25 |
| 1985 | May 5 |
| 1986 | May 5 |
| 1987 | Apr 10 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | May 9 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 24 |
| 1992 | Apr 30 |
| 1993 | Apr 26 |
| 1994 | Apr 9 |
| 1995 | Apr 16 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 12 |
| 1998 | Apr 13 |
| 1999 | Mar 30 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | Apr 12 |
| 2004 | May 5 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1943 | 153 |
| 1944 | 155 |
| 1945 | 150 |
| 1947 | 139 |
| 1948 | 187 |
| 1951 | 157 |
| 1952 | 142 |
| 1953 | 162 |
| 1954 | 176 |
| 1955 | 182 |
| 1956 | 126 |
| 1957 | 158 |
| 1958 | 156 |
| 1959 | 174 |
| 1960 | 158 |
| 1961 | 141 |
| 1962 | 179 |
| 1963 | 167 |
| 1964 | 172 |
| 1965 | 170 |
| 1966 | 148 |
| 1967 | 153 |
| 1968 | 135 |
| 1969 | 172 |
| 1970 | 161 |
| 1971 | 187 |
| 1972 | 150 |
| 1973 | 151 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 158 |
| 1977 | 157 |
| 1978 | 159 |
| 1979 | 181 |
| 1980 | 149 |
| 1981 | 170 |
| 1982 | 142 |
| 1983 | 118 |
| 1984 | 131 |
| 1985 | 153 |
| 1986 | 163 |
| 1987 | 176 |
| 1988 | 162 |
| 1989 | 148 |
| 1990 | 190 |
| 1991 | 166 |
| 1992 | 170 |
| 1993 | 167 |
| 1994 | 184 |
| 1995 | 183 |
| 1996 | 171 |
| 1997 | 156 |
| 1998 | 192 |
| 1999 | 204 |
| 2000 | 177 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 162 |
| 2003 | 173 |
| 2004 | 184 |
| 2005 | 176 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 195 |
| 2008 | 170 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1942 | 18.4 °C |
| 1943 | 17.6 °C |
| 1944 | 18.1 °C |
| 1945 | 17.3 °C |
| 1947 | 18.3 °C |
| 1948 | 18.4 °C |
| 1951 | 17.0 °C |
| 1952 | 18.0 °C |
| 1953 | 18.2 °C |
| 1954 | 18.5 °C |
| 1955 | 18.3 °C |
| 1956 | 16.6 °C |
| 1957 | 18.6 °C |
| 1958 | 17.6 °C |
| 1959 | 18.6 °C |
| 1961 | 17.2 °C |
| 1962 | 18.1 °C |
| 1963 | 17.1 °C |
| 1964 | 18.1 °C |
| 1965 | 18.7 °C |
| 1966 | 17.0 °C |
| 1967 | 16.0 °C |
| 1968 | 17.7 °C |
| 1969 | 18.1 °C |
| 1970 | 18.7 °C |
| 1971 | 17.6 °C |
| 1972 | 17.1 °C |
| 1973 | 18.0 °C |
| 1974 | 16.9 °C |
| 1975 | 17.9 °C |
| 1977 | 18.8 °C |
| 1978 | 18.4 °C |
| 1979 | 17.4 °C |
| 1980 | 18.3 °C |
| 1981 | 18.2 °C |
| 1982 | 16.9 °C |
| 1983 | 17.4 °C |
| 1984 | 16.7 °C |
| 1985 | 17.9 °C |
| 1986 | 18.2 °C |
| 1987 | 18.3 °C |
| 1988 | 18.1 °C |
| 1989 | 17.2 °C |
| 1990 | 17.6 °C |
| 1991 | 18.8 °C |
| 1992 | 16.9 °C |
| 1993 | 17.8 °C |
| 1994 | 17.6 °C |
| 1995 | 18.0 °C |
| 1996 | 17.0 °C |
| 1997 | 16.1 °C |
| 1998 | 18.4 °C |
| 1999 | 18.5 °C |
| 2000 | 17.5 °C |
| 2001 | 18.0 °C |
| 2002 | 18.9 °C |
| 2003 | 17.7 °C |
| 2004 | 18.2 °C |
| 2005 | 18.7 °C |
| 2006 | 17.9 °C |
| 2008 | 17.4 °C |
| 2009 | 17.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1942, Oak Hill's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Oak Hill (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.