District of Columbia Frost Dates

Average last spring and first fall frost for District of Columbia cities, based on 1991–2020 climate normals. Click a city for its full planting guide.

CityLast spring frostFirst fall frostSeasonZone
Washington Apr 5 Nov 1 210 days 7b
Not sure which station to trust? Use the ZIP code lookup for the quick answer, or pick the station whose terrain most resembles your garden.

Planning a District of Columbia garden around these dates

Count back from the last spring frost to schedule indoor seed starting (the seed starting scheduler automates it), plant hardy crops in the weeks before the date, and hold tender crops — tomatoes, peppers, squash, basil — until after it. In fall, the first frost date is the deadline: crops must mature before it, which is what our planting calendar counts backwards for you. Crop-by-crop timing for every USDA zone lives under when to plant.