Frost dates / By state
Frost dates in Maryland
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Your own yard can run a little either side.
Short answer
Across 9 NOAA weather stations in Maryland, the average last spring frost runs from March 23 at Annapolis Naf to April 10 at Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport. The first fall frost comes as early as October 30 at Aberdeen Phillips Fld and as late as November 21 at Md Sci Ctr Baltimore. Planting zones near these stations run from 7a to 8a.
Maryland cities
- Frost dates in Baltimore: last frost March 24, first frost November 21
Find yours by ZIP code
The table below is by weather station. For the station nearest you, and your planting zone, type your ZIP code.
Maryland frost dates by weather station
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free | Zone nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Phillips Fld 57 ft | April 10 1 in 10 after April 30 | October 30 1 in 10 by October 14 | 203 days | 7b |
| Annapolis Naf 8 ft | March 23 1 in 10 after April 6 | November 20 1 in 10 by November 4 | 242 days | 8a |
| Baltimore Wash Intl Airport 156 ft | April 10 1 in 10 after April 25 | October 31 1 in 10 by October 17 | 204 days | 7b |
| Hagerstown Washington Co Airport 698 ft | April 7 1 in 10 after April 21 | November 4 1 in 10 by October 22 | 211 days | 7a |
| Md Sci Ctr Baltimore 20 ft | March 24 1 in 10 after April 4 | November 21 1 in 10 by November 7 | 242 days | 8a |
| Ocean City Muni Airport 12 ft | April 7 1 in 10 after April 23 | November 2 1 in 10 by October 20 | 209 days | 8a |
| Patuxent River NAS 39 ft | March 29 1 in 10 after April 10 | November 15 1 in 10 by November 1 | 231 days | 8a |
| Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl Airport 48 ft | April 10 1 in 10 after April 30 | October 30 1 in 10 by October 15 | 203 days | 7b |
| St Inigoes Webster Nolf 21 ft | March 30 1 in 10 after April 11 | November 14 1 in 10 by October 29 | 229 days | 8a |
The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. Stations are NOAA's main weather stations, mostly airports. “Zone nearby” is the USDA 2023 zone of the nearest ZIP code within 10 miles. NOAA counts the frost season from August to July, so in the warmest places the “first fall” freeze lands after New Year.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
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Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)