Last and first frost dates in Richmond

When is the last frost in Richmond?

The last frost in Richmond usually comes around 26 March: that is the median of 2016–2025, so in about half of those years the last night at or below 0 °C came later. Hardy crops start before it and frost-tender ones only after it: in the table below arugula can go into open ground from 5 March, while corn waits until 2 April. The first autumn frost follows around 16 November, about 235 days later: harvest or cover frost-tender crops before then.

When to sow and plant

Planting out: a week after the last frost once the soil is warm enough for the crop; frost-hardy crops three weeks before it; an unheated greenhouse three weeks earlier. Seedlings are sown so they are ready on that day. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.

What planting zone is Richmond?

The official USDA map (2023, 1991–2020 data) puts the centre of Richmond (ZIP 23220) in zone 7b. Zone 7b stands for an average coldest night of 5 to 10 °F (-15 to -12.2 °C), so perennials hardy to zone 7b or a colder zone should come through a typical winter here.

Check the official USDA map for Richmond: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

When the soil warms up in Richmond

The day the top 7 cm of soil first averages each temperature over a week, median of 2016–2025 (ERA5 via Open-Meteo). The soil reaches 10 °C 28 days before the last spring frost and 15 °C 12 days after it.

Frost dates near Richmond

Of the nearest cities on our list, the last spring frost ends earliest in Virginia Beach (8 March) and latest in Roanoke (3 April).

Seeds, seedlings and markets in Richmond

Within 15 km of Richmond OpenStreetMap lists 6 garden centres, 4 farm-supply shops, 2 plant nurseries, 5 markets and 2 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026). The nearest garden centre to the city centre is The Great Big Greenhouse, 14 km away.

• The Great Big Greenhouse — garden centre
  Huguenot Road 2051, 23235 · 14 km
• Happy Trees Agricultural Supply — farm supply
  North Arthur Ashe Boulevard 1020, 23230 Richmond · Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00; Sat–Sun 12:00–18:00 · 2 km · happytreesag.com
• Hazel Witch Farm — plant nursery
  Sledd Lane 4366, 23111 Mechanicsville · 12 km
• Birdhouse Farmers Market — market
  Grayland Avenue 1507, 23220 Richmond · Tue 15:00–18:30 · 1 km · birdhousefarmersmarket.org
• Berry's Produce — farm shop
  Chamberlayne Road 9592, 23116 Mechanicsville · 14 km
• Cross Creek Nursery & Landscaping Midlothian — garden centre
  Courthouse Road 501, 23236 Richmond · Mon–Wed 08:00–17:00; Thu 08:00–19:00; Fri–Sat 08:00–17:00 · 14 km · crosscreeknursery.com

• Where to buy seeds and seedlings in Richmond
• Selling your own harvest in the United States

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Weather in Richmond by month

Average weather in Richmond over 2016–2025: the warmest month is July. Months that average 20 °C or more by day: April–October (21.5–32.6 °C). Months that average 30 °C or more by day: July (32.6 °C) and August (30.5 °C). Nights average below 0 °C in January (-0.1 °C). About 1132 mm of rain falls in a year, on 120 days; May is the wettest month (115 mm) and November the driest (68 mm).

Average of the daily highs and lows, rain per month and days with at least 1 mm (ERA5 via Open-Meteo, the same grid cell as the frost dates).

Planted in autumn

From a month before the first autumn frost, so the roots grow before winter, to the late-planting limit on each crop’s page (about two weeks before the ground freezes, by ten years of weather).