Washington, DC 20593 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.
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 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
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
About 224 days separate Washington's last and first frost, putting it 11,711 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within DC, it ranks 239 of 246.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Washington can differ from the 20593 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Washington's frost date answer different questions.