Forest Heights, MD 20744 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Forest Heights, MD?
Around 04/03 is the usual last spring frost, about 218 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/08, about 217 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 Forest Heights, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Forest Heights before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/03 isn't a guarantee
04/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/15 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Forest Heights compares
Forest Heights's growing season runs about 217 days, ranking 13,503 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MD, it ranks 302 of 583.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Forest Heights can differ from the 20744 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Forest Heights's frost date answer different questions.