Washington, DC 20526 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Washington, DC?
Around 03/24 is the usual last spring frost, about 208 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/18, about 241 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Washington in Zone 8a (10 to 15°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
About 12 weeks of growing season left in Washington before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/24 isn't a guarantee
03/24 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Washington compares
At roughly 241 frost-free days, Washington places 8,456 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within DC, it ranks 37 of 246.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Washington's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Washington can differ from the 20526 normal.