Even if you know your growing zone, your actual predicted “first frost date” can vary based on your microclimate. We are in growing zone 7a; our predicted first frost date is October 21st, but it will come by October 31st.
This year it came early, on the evening of October 17th/early morning of the 18th.
Temperatures are still odd to me here in West Virginia. The coldest temps are often at sunrise, not at night (I was used to the Salish Sea cooling us off at night back on the island in Washington State).
This was Friday, October 16th. The weather was very unsettled, and the heat was exhausting; it had surged the last half of the week. The thunderstorms blew over us, with sustained winds of 22 mph for hours.
Saturday, we woke up to chilly but unsettled weather. Not quite there.
Saturday night/Sunday morning, I woke up to the first frost. It made for great hiking weather on Sunday, up in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
On October 19th, this morning, it was even colder.
The upside is it is wearing out the insects, especially the invasive Spotted Lanternfly and those annoying gnats that won’t leave you alone on hot afternoons.
We harvested anything delicate, such as the remaining green peas and beans, as well as beets and potatoes. On Friday we stripped the bell and hot peppers, and pulled the plants for the year.
On Saturday, I covered everything I was worried about with frost fabric or put it in the greenhouse. The lettuce came through just fine.
We had planted garlic early in the month, and last week we covered the beds in thick layers of dry maple leaves to insulate.
To me, the first frosts are the sign that fall is finally here. We will get a few more warm days, but each week we get less light (today is 11 hours, 2 minutes), and the wind is biting.
And as I close down our gardens for our second summer here in West Virginia, I have to say I have learned so much in such a short time.
~Sarah