Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 20001
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 20001 in zone 8a (the coldest night of a typical year: 10 to 15°F).
The nearest station, National Arboretum DC, MD, is 3 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after March 29 in half of years and after April 11 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 8a.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Arboretum DC, MD | 3 mi | 50 ft | March 29 | April 11 | November 8 | 8a |
| Washington, DCWashington Reagan Airport | 4 mi | 10 ft | March 24 | April 6 | November 18 | 8a |
| Dalecarlia Reservoir, MD | 5 mi | 150 ft | April 9 | April 26 | October 31 | 7b |
| Oxon Hill, MD | 8 mi | 190 ft | April 3 | April 15 | November 8 | 8a |
| Beltsville, MD | 9 mi | 145 ft | April 10 | May 1 | November 1 | 7b |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at National Arboretum DC
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | April 28 | April 16 | April 10 | March 29 | October 29 | October 14 |
| 32°F | April 11 | April 3 | March 29 | March 15 | November 8 | October 26 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | March 31 | March 24 | March 17 | March 2 | November 20 | November 6 |
| 24°F | March 22 | March 14 | March 7 | February 17 | December 6 | November 16 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.