Virginia Beach climate

Virginia Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oceana Nas, 6.4 km from Virginia Beach, elevation 23 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oceana Nas. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around March 29 and the first fall freeze around November 12, a growing season of about 230 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 11, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 29, first November 12
Median at 28°F
last March 14, first November 25

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FApr 27Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
32°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13
28°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26
24°FMar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6
20°FMar 5Feb 28Feb 21Feb 15Feb 9Feb 4Jan 31Jan 25Jan 13
16°FFeb 18Feb 9Feb 4Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 16Jan 10Jan 1

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
32°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 30
28°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 17
24°FNov 22Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 8
20°FDec 4Dec 13Dec 22Dec 29Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 15Jan 27
16°FDec 20Dec 29Jan 3Jan 7Jan 11Jan 15Jan 20Jan 26Feb 3

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F225218213209205201197192185
32°F254245239235230226222217210
28°F285274268263258252246240233
24°F317307300293288283277269261
20°F356343334328321314307301290
16°F365365365358348341334328317

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
96% of years
16°F or colder
69% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
3,424
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,546
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,499
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,978
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,623
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,432
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,406

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January746032
February620138
March5107104
April24539269
May85113493
June9291732
July0429894
August0380845
September11219658
October15257376
November4158127
December631256

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 6.4 km from Virginia Beach. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00013769 (Oceana Nas). Public domain.