The timing of the final freeze in Virginia marks a crucial period for agriculture, horticulture, and gardening. It signifies the point at which the risk of damage to tender plants from sub-freezing temperatures diminishes significantly. Farmers and gardeners rely on this approximation to guide decisions regarding planting schedules for warm-season crops and ornamentals.
Understanding the typical date of the spring’s last sub-freezing event carries considerable benefits. Accurate estimations prevent crop losses, wasted resources, and delayed harvests. Historically, reliance on local knowledge and observation of natural phenomena provided the primary means of predicting this critical juncture. Modern weather forecasting and climate data analysis have improved the precision and reliability of these estimations, reducing the uncertainties inherent in agricultural planning.