Washington, DC 20546 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Washington, DC, ZIP 20546
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/24, about 208 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/18, about 241 frost-free days later.
Washington sits in USDA Zone 8a (10 to 15°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 8a around Washington has about 12 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.
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
About 241 days separate Washington's last and first frost, putting it 8,459 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within DC, it ranks 40 of 246.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Washington can differ from the 20546 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 8a and Washington's frost date answer different questions.