Richmond, Virginia: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “Richmond” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (Richmond), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 23219, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station Richmond INTL AP, VA (USW00013740), 7 mi (11 km) from the ZCTA 23219 centroid, elevation 164 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeApril 31-in-10 after Apr 18

First fall freezeNovember 41-in-10 before Oct 23

Frost-free season≈ 215 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Mar 22 – Nov 15kills even hardy greens

USDA zone7b5 to 10°F winter low — not frost timing

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 18

The Richmond year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant April 10 – April 24
Peas: plant February 20 – March 6
Garlic: plant cloves November 11 – November 18

All 79 crops in Richmond

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

Washington, DC · Baltimore, MD · Raleigh, NC · Philadelphia, PA · Pittsburgh, PA