USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 21863 — Snow Hill, Maryland
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Snow Hill 4 N, MD (30 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Snow Hill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Snow Hill 4 N, MD).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 202 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 26
- Last snow
- March 5
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 10.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Snow Hill
Half of springs at Snow Hill 4 N, MD see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 28 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% of the 50 Maryland stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 50 Maryland stations; it reaches 223 days one year in ten and falls short of 182 one year in ten. On average 88 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 13 days longer, to about April 23, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between January 3 and February 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 21 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Snow Hill 4 N, 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 21863 →Compare Snow Hill with another place →
Weather by month in Snow Hill
July is the warmest month at Snow Hill 4 N, MD, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 30°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,599 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 50 Maryland stations. 36% of them (1,671) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 911. Precipitation totals 47.6 inches a year, most in September (5.3") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 3.5 | 100% | 21 | 24 |
| Feb | 51 | 31 | 3.2 | 100% | 19 | 25 |
| Mar | 58 | 37 | 4.3 | 100% | 14 | 87 |
| Apr | 69 | 46 | 3.5 | 76% | 4 | 260 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 3.7 | 7% | <1 | 520 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 756 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 911 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 845 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 4.1 | 52% | 2 | 353 |
| Nov | 61 | 40 | 3.3 | 99% | 10 | 122 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 3.9 | 100% | 18 | 44 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Snow Hill 4 N, MD (30 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, Salisbury Wicomico Regional Airport, MD, 11 miles northwest of Snow Hill, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day earlier (October 30), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Snow Hill, Maryland
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Snow Hill usually arrives around December 26, and the last of the season around March 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Snow Hill 4 N, MD, 3.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 21863
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 21863 is 3 miles from Snow Hill 4 N, MD, which stands at 30 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 21863 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.