Frost dates 2026–2027

Frost dates for Rockville, Maryland

Median (50% chance) dates of the last and first 32°F frost, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Rockville 1 NE, 1.2 mi away (close match).

Last spring frostApr 1
First fall frostNov 6
219 frost-free days
Last spring frostApr 11 year in 10 after Apr 15
First fall frostNov 61 year in 10 by Oct 24
Growing season219 daysbetween median 32°F dates
Hardiness zoneZone 7b5 to 10°F average extreme low

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Will it freeze in Rockville in the next 7 nights?

No overnight lows at or below 32°F are forecast in Rockville during the next 7 nights in the available NWS frost forecast.

Tonight: forecast low 59°F. Above 36°F.

NWS forecast period: Thu, Nov 5, 6:00 PM EST to Fri, Nov 6, 6:00 AM EST.

No nights at or below 36°F in the National Weather Service forecast for the next 7 nights.

Overnight lows from the National Weather Service forecast for this location. This covers the available forecast window, not the first freeze of the whole season. Frost can form above 32°F on clear, calm nights.

Frost and freeze probabilities

Freeze dates shift from year to year. Spring percentages describe the chance of a freeze after the stated date; fall percentages describe the chance of a freeze by that date. The 10% spring date is the cautious one: a later freeze happens about 1 year in 10.

These dates describe historical probabilities, not this year’s forecast or the earliest and latest possible freezes. Different weather stations or probability thresholds can produce different published dates for the same city.

Average first hard freeze in Rockville

The median first fall hard-freeze date (28°F) is November 19, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals at Rockville 1 NE. This is the 50% probability date, not a forecast for this year.

TemperatureLast spring date
90% · 50% · 10% chance of a later freeze
First fall date
10% · 50% · 90% chance of an earlier freeze
Season
36°F frost possible Mar 31 · Apr 16 · May 5 Oct 12 · Oct 25 · Nov 7 192 days
32°F freeze Mar 19 · Apr 1 · Apr 15 Oct 24 · Nov 6 · Nov 21 219 days
28°F hard freeze Mar 5 · Mar 22 · Apr 4 Nov 5 · Nov 19 · Dec 6 243 days
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00187705. How to read these probabilities.

Average high temperature by month

1991–2020 normals at Rockville 1 NE

Average low temperature by month

Months with lows near or below freezing carry frost risk

Where these frost dates come from

The frost dates for Rockville, MD come from the nearest weather station with freeze statistics in NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals: Rockville 1 NE (station USC00187705, elevation 440 ft), 1.2 mi from Rockville. Local conditions (valleys, hilltops, distance to water, city heat) can shift frost dates by days or weeks. The hardiness zone is from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA ARS and Oregon State University PRISM). See our methodology.

Frost dates near Rockville

CityDistanceLast spring frostFirst fall frost
Gaithersburg, MD 5.0 mi Apr 1 Nov 6
Takoma Park, MD 11 mi Mar 29 Nov 8
College Park, MD 13 mi Apr 10 Nov 1
Hyattsville, MD 14 mi Mar 29 Nov 8
Falls Church, VA 14 mi Apr 9 Oct 31
Vienna, VA 14 mi Apr 14 Oct 29
Mount Rainier, MD 14 mi Mar 29 Nov 8
Poolesville, MD 14 mi Apr 13 Oct 26
Washington, DC 14 mi Mar 29 Nov 8
Herndon, VA 15 mi Apr 15 Oct 24

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Rockville?

On average, the last spring frost (32°F) in Rockville is around April 1. In about 1 year in 10 it comes after April 15, and in 9 years in 10 it comes after March 19.

When is the first frost in Rockville?

The first fall frost (32°F) usually arrives around November 6. There’s a 10% chance of a freeze by October 24 and a 90% chance by November 21.

Can it frost in Rockville after the last frost date?

Yes. Frost can form on clear, calm nights even when the air stays above 32°F. Temperatures of 36°F or lower, cold enough for frost on exposed plants, have a 50% chance of occurring after April 16.

What growing zone is Rockville?

Rockville is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b (average annual extreme minimum temperature 5 to 10°F), based on the 2023 USDA map for ZIP code 20850. See growing zones in Maryland.

More: all Maryland frost dates · Maryland growing zones · UV index today in Rockville · frost vs. freeze