USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 19930 — Bethany Beach, Delaware
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ocean City Municipal Airport, MD (12 ft), 16 miles south.
Updated
In Bethany Beach, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Ocean City Municipal Airport, MD).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 209 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 22
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 74%
- Snow per year
- 10.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bethany Beach
Half of springs at Ocean City Municipal Airport, MD see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 24, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 10 Delaware stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 2 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 10 Delaware stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 81 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 14 days longer, to about April 21, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between January 2 and February 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ocean City Municipal Airport, MD, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 19930 →Compare Bethany Beach with another place →
Weather by month in Bethany Beach
July is the warmest month at Ocean City Municipal Airport, MD, averaging 84°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 28°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 71% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,739 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 10 Delaware stations. 32% of them (1,208) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 815. Precipitation totals 42.7 inches a year, most in October (4.0") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 28 | 3.4 | 100% | 22 | 9 |
| Feb | 47 | 29 | 3.0 | 100% | 18 | 12 |
| Mar | 52 | 35 | 3.9 | 100% | 12 | 37 |
| Apr | 62 | 44 | 3.0 | 71% | 2 | 143 |
| May | 70 | 53 | 3.8 | 5% | 0 | 368 |
| Jun | 79 | 63 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Jul | 84 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 815 |
| Aug | 83 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 770 |
| Sep | 77 | 61 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 573 |
| Oct | 68 | 49 | 4.0 | 41% | 1 | 275 |
| Nov | 58 | 39 | 3.2 | 98% | 8 | 75 |
| Dec | 50 | 32 | 3.6 | 100% | 18 | 23 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ocean City Municipal Airport, MD (12 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Lewes, DE, 18 miles north of Bethany Beach, has a last frost 9 days earlier (March 29), a first frost 12 days later (November 14), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Bethany Beach, Delaware
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bethany Beach usually arrives around January 22, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lewes, DE, 17.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 74% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 40 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 19930
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 19930 is 16 miles from Ocean City Municipal Airport, MD, which stands at 12 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 21811 (Berlin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 19930 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.