Frost dates · USDA zone 7b
Frost dates for Richmond, VA
Richmond, VA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 3 and its first of fall around November 4 — a 215-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 | Mar 19 | Nov 19 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 3 | Nov 4 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 18 | Oct 23 |
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: 215 days median, at least 195 in 9 years of 10, at least 236 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 22 and first of Nov 15.
Richmond planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 3) and median first frost (Nov 4) 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) | Jan 9 | Mar 6 | Jun 24 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 3 | May 3 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 20 | Mar 20 | May 4 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 6 | Apr 17 | Jun 16 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 6 | Apr 10 | Jun 24 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 23 | Apr 17 | Jul 21 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 6 | Apr 10 | Jun 24 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 6 | Apr 10 | Jun 29 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 6 | Apr 10 | Jun 29 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 20 | Mar 20 | May 29 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 20 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 20 | Apr 10 | Jun 24 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 20 | Apr 10 | Jun 29 | 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 Richmond grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Richmond container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Richmond frost questions
When is the last frost in Richmond, VA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at RICHMOND INTL AP, VA is April 3: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 18; nine years in ten, it comes after March 19. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Richmond, VA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 4. One year in ten it arrives before October 23; nine years in ten, before November 19.
How long is the growing season in Richmond, VA?
215 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 195 days; one year in ten, at least 236 days.
What growing zone is Richmond, VA?
USDA hardiness zone 7b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 23220. 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 Richmond, VA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 20 and transplant around Apr 10, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 18. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 24.
When should I plant peppers in Richmond, VA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 6; transplant no earlier than Apr 10, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 24.
Nearby in Virginia
- Newport Newslast frost Apr 1
- Charlottesvillelast frost Apr 2
- Hamptonlast frost Mar 24
- Suffolklast frost Mar 27
- Portsmouthlast frost Mar 23
- Norfolklast frost Mar 17
All Virginia frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →