Laurel, MD 20723 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Laurel, MD?
Around 04/05 is the usual last spring frost, about 220 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/09, about 218 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Laurel in Zone 7b (5 to 10°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 Laurel before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/05 isn't a guarantee
04/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Laurel compares
Laurel's growing season runs about 218 days, ranking 13,198 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MD, it ranks 248 of 583.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Laurel can differ from the 20723 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Laurel's frost date answer different questions.