La Plata, MD 20601 Frost Dates
Frost dates for La Plata, MD, ZIP 20601
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/17, roughly 232 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/27, about 195 frost-free days later.
Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for La Plata, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 7b around La Plata 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/31 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How La Plata compares
La Plata's growing season runs about 195 days, ranking 19,225 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MD, it ranks 499 of 583.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in La Plata can differ from the 20601 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7b and La Plata's frost date answer different questions.