Maryland frost dates

Average last spring and first fall frost dates for Maryland’s largest cities, with each city’s USDA hardiness zone.

Reviewed October 2026

Among Maryland’s 20 largest cities, the average last spring frost ranges from Mar 24 in Baltimore to Apr 24 in Westminster. Elevation, distance from the coast and city heat all shift the date, so use your own ZIP code below for the closest match.

City	Average last spring frost	Average first fall frost	Frost-free days	Hardiness zone	Weather station used
Baltimore	Mar 24	Nov 21	242	7b–8a	Md Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD
Frederick	Apr 2	Nov 6	218	7a–7b	Frederick Police Brks, MD, 2 mi
Gaithersburg	Apr 1	Nov 6	219	7b	Rockville 1 Ne, MD, 4 mi
Rockville	Apr 1	Nov 6	219	7b	Rockville 1 Ne, MD
Bowie	Apr 22	Oct 22	183	7a–7b	Glenn Dale Bell Stn, MD, 4 mi
Hagerstown	Apr 11	Oct 28	200	7a–7b	Hagerstown 1 E, MD
Annapolis	Mar 27	Nov 13	231	7b–8a	Annapolis Police Brks, MD
College Park	Apr 10	Nov 1	205	7b	Beltsville, MD, 2 mi
Salisbury	Apr 3	Nov 7	218	7b	Salisbury, MD
Laurel	Apr 5	Nov 9	218	7b	Laurel 3 W, MD, 2 mi
Greenbelt	Apr 10	Nov 1	205	7b	Beltsville, MD, 3 mi
Hyattsville	Mar 29	Nov 8	224	7b	Natl Arboretum Dc, MD, 3 mi
Westminster	Apr 24	Oct 20	179	7a	Hanover 4 Sw, PA, 13 mi
Cumberland	Apr 15	Oct 24	192	7a	Cumberland 2, MD
Aberdeen	Apr 10	Oct 30	203	7a–7b	Aberdeen Phillips Fld, MD, 3 mi
Takoma Park	Mar 29	Nov 8	224	7b	Natl Arboretum Dc, MD, 5 mi
Easton	Apr 1	Nov 7	220	8a	Royal Oak 2 Ssw, MD, 8 mi
Elkton	Apr 7	Nov 2	209	7a–7b	Newark Ag Farm, DE, 6 mi
Havre de Grace	Apr 10	Oct 30	203	7a–7b	Aberdeen Phillips Fld, MD, 6 mi
New Carrollton	Apr 22	Oct 22	183	7b	Glenn Dale Bell Stn, MD, 4 mi

Frost dates are the dates after (spring) or before (fall) which the chance of a 32°F freeze is below 50%, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for the weather station nearest each city’s center. Zones are from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the ZIP codes around each city; a range means nearby ZIP codes differ. Cities are the 20 largest by Census Bureau 2024 population estimates.

An average is not a guarantee. There’s still about a 1 in 2 chance of frost after the average last spring date. Many gardeners wait an extra week or two before setting out tomatoes, peppers and basil, and keep covers handy.

Planting dates for Baltimore

Timed from Baltimore’s average last frost of Mar 24, using University of New Hampshire Extension’s planting guidance. For your exact dates, enter your ZIP code in the calendar below.

Crop	Start seeds indoors	Plant outside
Tomatoes	Feb 3 to Feb 17	Mar 31 to Apr 7
Peppers	Jan 27 to Feb 10	Apr 7
Lettuce	Jan 20 to Jan 27	Feb 24 to Mar 3
Broccoli	Jan 13 to Jan 27	Feb 24 to Mar 10
Cucumbers	Mar 3 to Mar 10	Mar 31 to Apr 7
Basil	Feb 10 to Feb 24	Apr 7

When to plant, for your garden

Your seed-starting and planting dates, timed from your last spring frost. Full calendar, 12 crops.

ZIP code

Last frost date

Enter your ZIP code to look up your average last frost date and hardiness zone, or type the date in yourself.

Frost dates: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023, ZIP code data from PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed Oct. 20, 2026.

More about frost dates

How to find your last frost date, and what your zone means · Full planting calendar · How to start seeds indoors

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