Delaware Frost Dates

Delaware has 7 NOAA weather stations with freeze records in the 1991–2020 climate normals. The typical last spring frost ranges from March 29 at Lewes to April 11 at Greenwood 2ne; at half the stations it has come by April 7. The first fall frost typically arrives between October 30 at Greenwood 2ne and November 14 at Lewes, with a median of November 4.

The growing season between the typical frosts runs from 200 days at Greenwood 2ne to 231 days at Lewes; 209 days at the median station.

Every station in Delaware

Typical dates have a 50% chance of a frost after them in spring, and before them in fall; safer dates, 10%. A garden can differ from its nearest station, especially in a valley or on a hillside: see why your garden may differ.

Delaware: freeze (32 °F) dates by NOAA station, 1991–2020 normals
StationElevationLast frostSaferFirst frostSaferSeason (days)
Dover30 ftApr 4Apr 17Nov 4Oct 23214
Georgetown Sussex Co Ap51 ftApr 4Apr 16Nov 6Oct 23217
Greenwood 2ne45 ftApr 11Apr 28Oct 30Oct 14200
Lewes10 ftMar 29Apr 9Nov 14Nov 1231
Newark Ag Farm106 ftApr 7Apr 21Nov 2Oct 19208
Wilmington New Castle Co Ap79 ftApr 7Apr 21Nov 1Oct 19209
Wilmington Porter Rsch270 ftApr 7Apr 24Nov 4Oct 21209

Plan your garden with these dates

Enter your ZIP code in the planner: it picks the nearest of these stations and dates every crop in your beds from its frosts. Free, in your browser.

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Questions

When is the last frost in Delaware?

It depends on where you are. The typical last spring frost at Delaware's NOAA stations ranges from March 29 to April 11, and half of them have had it by April 7. Enter your ZIP code above for the station nearest you.

When is the first frost in Delaware?

Typically between October 30 and November 14, depending on the station; the median is November 4. Plan fall crops back from your own station's date.

What do "typical" and "safer" mean?

With the typical (50%) last-frost date, half of years still have a frost after it. With the safer (10%) date, only one year in ten does. In fall it's the other way around: the safer date is the earlier one.

Other states

Sources

  1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)