U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00180700 · Maryland

Frost Dates for Beltsville, MD

NOAA weather station Beltsville (USC00180700), Maryland · elevation 145 ft (44 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 1only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season202 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Beltsville, MDSpring: a frost after March 27 in 9 years out of 10, after April 10 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 202 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 10First frost ~Nov 1Frost season at Beltsville, MDSpring: a frost after March 27 in 9 years out of 10, after April 10 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 202 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 10First frost ~Nov 1
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 1October 16
50% (typical)April 10November 1
90% (likely)March 27November 14
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
202 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 29
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 11

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 10 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 2 (1 day later). Frost-free season 205 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Beltsville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 1, 20% April 21, 30% April 18, 40% April 14, 50% April 10, 60% April 7, 70% April 3, 80% March 31, 90% March 27. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 29, 2023 April 10, 2024 March 30, 2025 April 9, 2026 April 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 1Apr 10Mar 272021: April 232022: April 292023: April 102024: March 302025: April 92026: April 21Fall at Beltsville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 16, 20% October 22, 30% October 26, 40% October 29, 50% November 1, 60% November 2, 70% November 5, 80% November 8, 90% November 14. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 20, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 13, 2025 November 7.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 16Nov 1Nov 142021: November 42022: October 202023: November 22024: November 132025: November 7
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 23November 4
2022April 29October 20
2023April 10November 2
2024March 30November 13
2025April 9November 7
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 1 is the cautious spring date for light frost in Beltsville; at that point there is a 10 % chance of a frost later, so a gardener can plan to set out tender crops.

October 16 serves as the cautious fall date, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier, allowing a gardener to finish harvesting tender crops. The 50% dates are April 10 in spring and November 1 in fall; these are the median points where the odds of a light frost are even, but they are not frost dates themselves.

Hard frosts, recorded at 28 °F, are more damaging than light frosts at 32 °F, so the median hard-frost dates of March 29 and November 11 are important reference points for gardeners who need to avoid temperatures that can kill plant tissue.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 1" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 16" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Beltsville, MDNumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Bladensburg, MD — 8 mi; 2 — near Arlington, VA — 14 mi; 3 — near Baltimore, MD — 16 mi; 4 — near Oak Hill, VA — 29 mi; 5 — near Loudoun Valley Estates, VA — 30 mi.VAWV25 mi · 40 km1. near Bladensburg, MD — 8 mi12. near Arlington, VA — 14 mi23. near Baltimore, MD — 16 mi34. near Oak Hill, VA — 29 mi45. near Loudoun Valley Estates, VA — 30 mi5
  1. near Bladensburg, MD 8 mi (13 km)
  2. near Arlington, VA 14 mi (22 km)
  3. near Baltimore, MD 16 mi (26 km)
  4. near Oak Hill, VA 29 mi (47 km)
  5. near Loudoun Valley Estates, VA 30 mi (48 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 39.0303, -76.9314.