Washington, DC 20580 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Washington, DC?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/29, roughly 213 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/08, about 224 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
About 10 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 03/29 isn't a guarantee
03/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Washington compares
Washington's growing season runs about 224 days, ranking 11,707 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within DC, it ranks 235 of 246.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Washington's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Washington's dates instead of trusting one.