USDA zone 6b in Virginia
USDA plant hardiness zone 6b covers 18 locations across Virginia (average annual extreme minimum −5 to 0 °F): Alonzaville, VA, Bastian, VA, Basye, VA, Boissevain, VA, Callaghan, VA, Deerfield, VA, and 12 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 15 (Deerfield) to May 9 (Tazewell), and growing seasons run 148–191 days (Deerfield to Deerfield) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Virginia location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Alonzaville, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6b−5 to 0 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 15–May 9avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 5–Oct 27avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 148–191days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alonzaville * | — | Woodstock 2 Ne | Apr 24 | Oct 20 | 177 |
| Bastian | — | Bland | May 6 | Oct 10 | 157 |
| Basye | Orkney Springs | Edinburg | Apr 25 | Oct 19 | 174 |
| Boissevain | Falls Mills, Pocahontas, Rocky Gap | Bluefield Mercer Co Ap | Apr 21 | Oct 22 | 182 |
| Callaghan | — | Gathright Dam | Apr 22 | Oct 21 | 181 |
| Deerfield | Warm Springs, McDowell | Mustoe 1 Sw | May 8 | Oct 5 | 148 |
| Deerfield | — | Staunton Wtp | Apr 15 | Oct 27 | 191 |
| Hot Springs | Warm Springs | Hot Springs | Apr 26 | Oct 19 | 173 |
| Keokee | Lynch, Benham | Big Stone Gap | Apr 20 | Oct 23 | 186 |
| Pembroke | — | Pearisburg 4 Sse | Apr 27 | Oct 17 | 171 |
| Radford | — | Christiansburg | Apr 19 | Oct 23 | 186 |
| Raven | Jewell Ridge, Amonate | Richlands | Apr 27 | Oct 18 | 173 |
| Saltville | Tazewell | Saltville 1n | Apr 23 | Oct 20 | 178 |
| Shawneeland | Capon Bridge, Wardensville | Wardensville R M Farm | May 6 | Oct 12 | 159 |
| Singers Glen | Orkney Springs | Dale Enterprise | Apr 21 | Oct 23 | 182 |
| Stanley | — | Luray 5 E | Apr 23 | Oct 22 | 179 |
| Tazewell | Rural Retreat | Burkes Garden | May 9 | Oct 6 | 150 |
| Troutdale | — | Jefferson 2 E | May 7 | Oct 8 | 154 |
* Alonzaville is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Alonzaville, representative)
Computed from Alonzaville's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Virginiazone 6b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 30 – Jul 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | May 8 – May 15 | Jul 7 – Aug 6 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 27 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 20 – Jul 10 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 15 – Jun 30 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 1 – May 8 | Jun 20 – Jun 30 | Aug 21 – Aug 31 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 23 – Jul 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 1 – May 8 | May 31 – Jun 15 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 11 – May 26 | Aug 7 – Aug 22 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 7 – May 22 | Jul 28 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 22 – May 2 | Aug 17 – Aug 27 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | Jun 2 – Jun 22 | Jul 18 – Aug 7 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 21 – Jun 10 | Jul 23 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Alonzaville's own 177-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Alonzaville)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00449263. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 23 | Oct 9 | Oct 23 | 155 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 24 | May 14 | Oct 20 | Nov 2 | 177 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | May 1 | Oct 31 | Nov 11 | 202 |
| 24°F | Mar 27 | Apr 8 | Nov 9 | Nov 27 | 226 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 18 locations is 3,057; Alonzaville's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,322 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 5,697 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6b in Virginia
Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −5 to 0 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Virginia spans 6 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Virginia locations for the full range, including zones6a, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b.
Explore zone 6b in other states at zone 6b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 6b mean in Virginia?
- Zone 6b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −5 to 0 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 18 locations in Virginia fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Virginia's zone 6b is the growing season longest?
- Deerfield runs the longest season on this page at about 191 days; Deerfield is shortest at about 148 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Virginia's zone 6b?
- Using Alonzaville's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 27 – Mar 13, then transplant outside about May 1 – May 8. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Virginia's zone 6b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 18 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.