USDA zone 6a in West Virginia
USDA plant hardiness zone 6a covers 20 locations across West Virginia (average annual extreme minimum −10 to −5 °F): Adrian, WV, Arbovale, WV, Aurora, WV, Aurora, WV, Brandywine, WV, Craigsville, WV, and 14 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 18 (Rivesville) to May 15 (Whitmer), and growing seasons run 139–192 days (Whitmer to Rivesville) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every West Virginia location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Nettie, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6a−10 to −5 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 18–May 15avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 3–Oct 28avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 139–192days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian | — | Rock Cave 2 Ne | Apr 26 | Oct 21 | 175 |
| Arbovale | Monterey, Huttonsville | Bartow 1s | May 9 | Oct 5 | 149 |
| Aurora | — | Rowlesburg 1 | Apr 28 | Oct 23 | 179 |
| Aurora | Gorman, Bayard, Kitzmiller | Bayard | May 13 | Oct 3 | 140 |
| Brandywine | — | Dale Enterprise | Apr 21 | Oct 23 | 182 |
| Craigsville | Summersville | Summersville Lake | Apr 27 | Oct 19 | 173 |
| Davis | — | Davis 3se | May 9 | Oct 10 | 153 |
| Elkins | Belington, Valley Bend, Norton, Dailey, Womelsdorf (Coalton), Junior, +1 more | Elkins Randolph Co Ap | May 5 | Oct 12 | 159 |
| Franklin | — | Franklin 2 Ne | Apr 30 | Oct 11 | 162 |
| Littleton | New Freeport, Hundred, Smithfield | Mannington 8 Wnw | May 3 | Oct 10 | 159 |
| Nettie * | Rainelle, Quinwood | Rupert 4 N | May 2 | Oct 11 | 160 |
| Norton | — | Buckhannon | Apr 29 | Oct 20 | 173 |
| Pickens | Bergoo | Hacker Valley | May 7 | Oct 10 | 155 |
| Rivesville | — | Fairmont | Apr 18 | Oct 28 | 192 |
| Terra Alta | — | Terra Alta #1 | May 7 | Oct 11 | 156 |
| Thomas | Parsons, St. George, Montrose, Bowden | Parsons 3 Se | Apr 24 | Oct 24 | 182 |
| Valley Head | Cass | Snowshoe | May 12 | Oct 7 | 147 |
| Wardensville | — | Moorefield 1 Sse | Apr 29 | Oct 15 | 167 |
| Whitmer | Harman | Elkins 21 Ene | May 7 | Oct 7 | 151 |
| Whitmer | — | Glady 1 N | May 15 | Oct 3 | 139 |
* Nettie 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 (Nettie, representative)
Computed from Nettie's average frost dates — the median-season location in this West Virginiazone 6a 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 | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 9 – May 16 | Jul 8 – Jul 28 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 16 – May 23 | Jul 15 – Aug 14 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 9 – May 16 | Jun 28 – Jul 18 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 9 – May 16 | Jun 23 – Jul 8 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 9 – May 16 | Jun 28 – Jul 8 | Aug 12 – Aug 22 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | May 2 – May 16 | Jul 1 – Jul 31 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 9 – May 16 | Jun 8 – Jun 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 19 – Jun 3 | Jul 29 – Aug 13 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 15 – May 30 | Jul 19 – Aug 3 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | Apr 30 – May 10 | Aug 8 – Aug 18 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | Jun 10 – Jun 30 | Jul 9 – Jul 29 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 29 – Jun 18 | Jul 14 – Aug 3 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Nettie's own 160-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 (Nettie)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00465875. 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 13 | May 31 | Oct 3 | Oct 15 | 141 |
| 32°F (freeze) | May 2 | May 20 | Oct 11 | Oct 24 | 160 |
| 28°F | Apr 21 | May 10 | Oct 22 | Nov 5 | 184 |
| 24°F | Apr 9 | Apr 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 19 | 207 |
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 20 locations is 2,962; Nettie's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 2,335 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 4,489 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6a in West Virginia
Zone 6a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −10 to −5 °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. West Virginia spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all West Virginia locations for the full range, including zones5b, 6b, 7a.
Explore zone 6a in other states at zone 6a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 6a mean in West Virginia?
- Zone 6a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −10 to −5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 20 locations in West Virginia fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in West Virginia's zone 6a is the growing season longest?
- Rivesville runs the longest season on this page at about 192 days; Whitmer is shortest at about 139 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 West Virginia's zone 6a?
- Using Nettie's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Mar 7 – Mar 21, then transplant outside about May 9 – May 16. 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 West Virginia's zone 6a 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 20 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.