Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 26280 — Mill Creek, WV

ZIP code 26280 (Mill Creek, Randolph County) is in USDA zone 6a: the coldest winter night averages −10 to −5 °F. The median last spring frost is May 7 and the first fall frost October 6.

Where ZIP 26280 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone6a−10 to −5 °F
Coldest night−23.3 to −20.6 °C
Last frostMay 7
First frostOct 6
2012 zone5b

Was 5b on the 2012 map — half a zone warmer now. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 6a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Mill Creek, WV…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates in Mill Creek, WV

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostMay 7median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMay 26only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostOctober 6median — 10% chance by Sep 22
Growing season150 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around April 26 and returns around October 18.

From the NOAA station Kumbrabow, WV — 6 miles away, elevation 3,235 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in 26280

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Mar 26 – Apr 9
SpinachSow outdoors · Mar 26 – Apr 16
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Feb 26 – Mar 12
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Apr 16 – Apr 30
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Apr 9 – Apr 23
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Apr 16 – Apr 30
LettuceSow outdoors · Apr 9 – Apr 23
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Apr 16 – Apr 30
TomatoesStart indoors · Mar 12 – Mar 26
TomatoesTransplant · May 14 – May 28
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Feb 26 – Mar 12
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · May 21 – Jun 4
BeansSow outdoors · May 14 – May 28
Sweet cornSow outdoors · May 14 – May 28
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · May 14 – May 28
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Aug 11 – Aug 25
GarlicPlant cloves · Sep 22 – Oct 27
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (May 7) and first fall frost (Oct 6) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 26280 came on Mar 15 — 16 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Mar 31).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 6a in West Virginia

502 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in West Virginia, and rated by the USDA to survive −10 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 6a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 68

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican beech80 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −44 °FAmerican chestnut115 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °Farborvitae50 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Shrubs 102

alderleaf buckthorn3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAllegheny serviceberry35 ft · blooms early spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falternateleaf dogwood25 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −47 °FAmerican black currant3 ft · blooms early spring · to −46 °FAmerican hazelnut10 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican holly40 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −20 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 177

American bur-reed3 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican eelgrass1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican speedwell0.8 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican vetch1.3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican water horehound1.8 ft · blooms early summer · low shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Grasses 133

arctic brome3 ft · blooms early summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FBailey's sedge2.1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fbeaked spikerush3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °Fbig bluestem6 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −46 °Fbitter panicgrass5 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −18 °F

Vines 9

American bittersweet15 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Ffrost grape83 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −23 °Fmuscadine30 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −18 °Friverbank grape45 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °Fsummer grape30 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −23 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Mill Creek, WV.

Soil in Mill Creek, WV

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 26280 is Cookport variant — loam, moderately well drained.

TextureLoama good balance for most vegetables
pH5.0strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageModerately well drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter2.5%moderate
Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Cookport variant very stony silt loam, 3 to 15 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 26280; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Mill Creek, WV

Summer high75 °Faverage high, July
Winter low16 °Faverage low, January
Hot days0days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights159nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days1,887base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 53 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 27 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation63 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 34 °F, low 16 °F 34°16° JanFebruary: average high 39 °F, low 21 °F 39°21° FebMarch: average high 45 °F, low 23 °F 45°23° MarApril: average high 57 °F, low 34 °F 57°34° AprMay: average high 66 °F, low 44 °F 66°44° MayJune: average high 72 °F, low 51 °F 72°51° JunJuly: average high 75 °F, low 56 °F 75°56° JulAugust: average high 74 °F, low 54 °F 74°54° AugSeptember: average high 69 °F, low 48 °F 69°48° SepOctober: average high 60 °F, low 37 °F 60°37° OctNovember: average high 49 °F, low 27 °F 49°27° NovDecember: average high 38 °F, low 21 °F 38°21° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″2″4″6″January: 5.28 in precipitation 5.3 JanFebruary: 5.49 in precipitation 5.5 FebMarch: 6.34 in precipitation 6.3 MarApril: 5.35 in precipitation 5.3 AprMay: 6.66 in precipitation 6.7 MayJune: 5.56 in precipitation 5.6 JunJuly: 5.71 in precipitation 5.7 JulAugust: 4.99 in precipitation 5.0 AugSeptember: 4.02 in precipitation 4.0 SepOctober: 4.03 in precipitation 4.0 OctNovember: 3.86 in precipitation 3.9 NovDecember: 5.75 in precipitation 5.8 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Kumbrabow, WV (6 mi away); precipitation: Kumbrabow, WV (6 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

3 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

262736a
Huttonsville, WV · 7 mi
262936a
Valley Bend, WV · 7 mi
262786a
Mabie, WV · 8 mi
262246b
Helvetia, WV · 8 mi
262596a
Dailey, WV · 10 mi
262366b
Selbyville, WV · 10 mi
262376b
Tallmansville, WV · 11 mi
262306a
Pickens, WV · 11 mi

West Virginia planting zones →

Questions about 26280

What planting zone is ZIP code 26280?

ZIP code 26280 (Mill Creek, WV) is in USDA hardiness zone 6a on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −10 to −5 °F (−23.3 to −20.6 °C).

When is the last frost in Mill Creek, WV?

The median last spring frost (32 °F) near 26280 is May 7; after May 26 there is only a 10% chance of frost. Data: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Kumbrabow station.

When is the first frost in Mill Creek, WV?

The median first fall frost near 26280 is October 6, giving a median frost-free growing season of 150 days.

When should I plant tomatoes in 26280?

Start tomato seeds indoors around Mar 12 – Mar 26 and set transplants outside around May 14 – May 28, one to three weeks after the median last frost.

How much rain and snow does 26280 get?

About 63 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Kumbrabow station).

How hot do summers get in Mill Creek, WV?

The average high peaks at 75 °F in July, with about 0 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 26280 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Cookport variant at the center of ZIP 26280: loam, moderately well drained, pH about 5.0 (strongly acidic).

Did spring come early in Mill Creek, WV in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 26280 came on Mar 15 in 2026, 16 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Mar 31), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Mill Creek, WV?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 26280 is 14 h 53 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.

Did the zone for 26280 change?

Yes. The 2012 USDA map put 26280 in zone 5b; the 2023 map puts it in zone 6a. The newer map uses 1991–2020 data and more weather stations.