Washington, District of Columbia: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “Washington” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (Washington), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 20004, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station Washington Reagan AP, VA (USW00013743), 3 mi (5 km) from the ZCTA 20004 centroid, elevation 10 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeMarch 241-in-10 after Apr 6

First fall freezeNovember 181-in-10 before Nov 5

Frost-free season≈ 241 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Mar 12 – Dec 3kills even hardy greens

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 6

The Washington year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant March 31 – April 14
Peas: plant February 10 – February 24
Garlic: plant cloves November 25 – December 2

All 79 crops in Washington

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

Baltimore, MD · Richmond, VA · Philadelphia, PA · Pittsburgh, PA · New York, NY