Washington, DC 20007 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Washington, DC, ZIP 20007
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/09, roughly 224 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/31, about 202 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Washington in Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 7b around Washington has about 9 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
The actual range around Washington's last frost
04/09 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/26 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Washington compares
Washington's growing season runs about 202 days, ranking 17,069 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within DC, it ranks 242 of 246.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Washington can differ from the 20007 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7b and Washington's frost date answer different questions.