Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach, VA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 29 and its first of fall around November 12 — a 230-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 13 | Nov 30 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 29 | Nov 12 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 11 | Nov 1 |
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: 230 days median, at least 210 in 9 years of 10, at least 254 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 14 and first of Nov 25.
Virginia Beach planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 29) and median first frost (Nov 12) 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 4 | Mar 1 | Jun 19 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 29 | Apr 28 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 15 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 1 | Apr 12 | Jun 11 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 19 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 18 | Apr 12 | Jul 16 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 19 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 24 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 24 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 15 | Mar 15 | May 24 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 19 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 24 | 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 Virginia Beach grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Virginia Beach container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Virginia Beach frost questions
When is the last frost in Virginia Beach, VA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at OCEANA NAS, VA is March 29: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 11; nine years in ten, it comes after March 13. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Virginia Beach, VA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 12. One year in ten it arrives before November 1; nine years in ten, before November 30.
How long is the growing season in Virginia Beach, VA?
230 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 210 days; one year in ten, at least 254 days.
What growing zone is Virginia Beach, VA?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 23453. 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 Virginia Beach, VA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 15 and transplant around Apr 5, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 11. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 19.
When should I plant peppers in Virginia Beach, VA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 1; transplant no earlier than Apr 5, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 19.
Nearby in Virginia
- Norfolklast frost Mar 17
- Chesapeakelast frost Mar 23
- Portsmouthlast frost Mar 23
- Hamptonlast frost Mar 24
- Suffolklast frost Mar 27
- Newport Newslast frost Apr 1
All Virginia frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →