Zone 7a Frost Dates & Planting Calendar

What zone 7a actually tells you

The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts a place in zone 7a when the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020. The zone says which perennials survive the winter, not when to plant in spring.

Across the 678 NOAA stations behind zone 7a ZIP pages, the median 50% last spring frost is April 18 and the median first fall frost October 24; the last frost alone ranges from March 24 to June 17 from one station to another.

Frost dates answer the planting question, and they are read from the nearest NOAA station, not from the zone. The zone 7a ZIP codes here lie in 33 states; pick your own ZIP code below, or look up the zone of any ZIP code.