Frederick, MD 21717 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Frederick, MD?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/02, about 217 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/06, about 218 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 Frederick, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Frederick before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/02 isn't a guarantee
04/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/17 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 Frederick compares
At roughly 218 frost-free days, Frederick places 13,176 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within MD, it ranks 245 of 583.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Frederick's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Frederick's dates instead of trusting one.