Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Norfolk, VA
Norfolk, VA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 17 and its first of fall around November 23 — a 252-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Feb 27 | Dec 10 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 17 | Nov 23 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 31 | Nov 8 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 252 days median, at least 231 in 9 years of 10, at least 275 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Mar 4 and first of Dec 8.
Norfolk planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 17) and median first frost (Nov 23) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Dec 23 | Feb 17 | Jun 7 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 17 | Apr 16 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 3 | Mar 3 | Apr 17 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 17 | Mar 31 | May 30 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 20 | Mar 24 | Jun 7 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 6 | Mar 31 | Jul 4 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 20 | Mar 24 | Jun 7 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 20 | Mar 24 | Jun 12 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 20 | Mar 24 | Jun 12 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 3 | Mar 3 | May 12 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 3 | Mar 24 | Jun 2 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 3 | Mar 24 | Jun 7 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 3 | Mar 24 | Jun 12 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Norfolk grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Norfolk container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Norfolk frost questions
When is the last frost in Norfolk, VA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at NORFOLK INTL AP, VA is March 17: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 31; nine years in ten, it comes after February 27. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Norfolk, VA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 23. One year in ten it arrives before November 8; nine years in ten, before December 10.
How long is the growing season in Norfolk, VA?
252 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 231 days; one year in ten, at least 275 days.
What growing zone is Norfolk, VA?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 23518. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Norfolk, VA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 3 and transplant around Mar 24, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 31. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 7.
When should I plant peppers in Norfolk, VA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 20; transplant no earlier than Mar 24, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 7.
Nearby in Virginia
- Portsmouthlast frost Mar 23
- Hamptonlast frost Mar 24
- Virginia Beachlast frost Mar 29
- Chesapeakelast frost Mar 23
- Newport Newslast frost Apr 1
- Suffolklast frost Mar 27
All Virginia frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →