Newport News, Virginia: planting zone & frost dates
Newport News is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 7 and the first fall frost around Nov 4.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 18 | Oct 31 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 7 | Nov 4 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 1 | Nov 9 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station NEWPORT NEWS INTL AP, VA (USW00093741), 4.2 mi (6.7 km) from the city center and 20 ft higher than the city center (+6 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 12 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Newport News
Newport News spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 8 ZIP codes): 8a (76%), 8b (24%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Newport News
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 7, first frost Nov 4). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Mar 10 – Apr 21 | Aug 26 – Sep 23 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 14 – May 19 | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 14 – May 12 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
| Cucumber | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 17 – Apr 21 | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
| Onion | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Apr 21 – May 12 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 24 – Mar 24 | Sep 9 – Oct 7 |
| Kale | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | Aug 26 – Sep 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | — | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | Aug 26 – Sep 9 |
| Eggplant | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | — | Aug 12 – Aug 26 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 3 – Apr 21 | Sep 23 – Oct 21 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | Aug 26 – Sep 9 |
Nearby cities in Virginia
- Hampton — zone 8b, last frost Mar 30, first frost Nov 10
- Portsmouth — zone 8b, last frost Mar 30, first frost Nov 11
- Norfolk — zone 8b, last frost Mar 23, first frost Nov 18
- Suffolk — zone 8a, last frost Apr 1, first frost Nov 9
- Chesapeake — zone 8a, last frost Mar 29, first frost Nov 12
- Virginia Beach — zone 8b, last frost Apr 3, first frost Nov 7
More: all Virginia cities · other zone 8a cities: Charlotte, NC, Memphis, TN, Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC, Greensboro, NC, Durham, NC, Winston-Salem, NC, Chesapeake, VA
Newport News gardening questions
When is the last frost in Newport News, VA?
Plan around Apr 7. At NOAA's Newport News Int'l Airport, VA station, 4.2 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 1, and after Apr 18 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 20. The 90% and 10% dates are 31 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Newport News, VA?
Start seeds indoors Feb 10 – Feb 24 and set transplants outside Apr 14 – Apr 28, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 211 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Newport News?
About 221 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 203 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 241 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 31 and a 30% chance by Nov 4. That ranks 8th longest of 11 Virginia cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Newport News?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 4): transplant broccoli Aug 12 – Aug 26; sow kale Aug 26 – Sep 23; sow lettuce Aug 26 – Sep 23; sow radishes Sep 23 – Oct 21. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 20. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Newport News's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, Newport News is zone 8a on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Newport News in zone 8a?
No. Zone 8a covers about 76% of the city's land; the rest is in 8b (24%), measured across the city's 8 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.