USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 21756 — Keedysville, Maryland
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sharpsburg 5 S, MD (400 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Keedysville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Sharpsburg 5 S, MD).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 175 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 13
- Last snow
- March 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Keedysville
Half of springs at Sharpsburg 5 S, MD see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 82% of the 50 Maryland stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 50 Maryland stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 126 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 11 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sharpsburg 5 S, 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 21756 →Compare Keedysville with another place →
Weather by month in Keedysville
July is the warmest month at Sharpsburg 5 S, MD, averaging 86°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,306 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 50 Maryland stations. 34% of them (1,136) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 752. Precipitation totals 43.6 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in February (2.4"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.1 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Feb | 44 | 23 | 2.4 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
| Mar | 53 | 29 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 32 |
| Apr | 65 | 39 | 3.6 | 98% | 8 | 138 |
| May | 74 | 49 | 4.6 | 35% | 1 | 354 |
| Jun | 82 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Jul | 86 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 752 |
| Aug | 85 | 61 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 4.4 | 2% | 0 | 478 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 3.4 | 84% | 4 | 184 |
| Nov | 56 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 18 | 39 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 3.5 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sharpsburg 5 S, MD (400 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, Hagerstown 1 E, MD, 12 miles north of Keedysville, has a last frost 15 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 10 days later (October 28), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Keedysville, Maryland
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Keedysville usually arrives around December 13, and the last of the season around March 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sharpsburg 5 S, MD, 4.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 21756
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 21756 is 5 miles from Sharpsburg 5 S, MD, which stands at 400 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 25425 (Harpers Ferry). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 21756 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.