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When to plant in Dundalk, MD

USDA Zone 8a

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Dundalk, Maryland — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

Dundalk enjoys a long ~242-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. In zone 8a, Dundalk supports a wide range of perennials year-round; the frost dates above are what set your annual vegetable timing.

Station · MD SCI CTR BALTIMORE · 9.8 km
Last spring frost
March 24
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 21
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
242 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for DundalkA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Dundalk: last spring frost around March 24, first fall frost around November 21, about 242 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

MD SCI CTR BALTIMORE · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Dundalk’s own odds, recorded at MD SCI CTR BALTIMORE.

Frost-probability curves for DundalkProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 24 and the first fall frost around November 21, giving about 242 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FApr 15Apr 3Mar 22Oct 29Nov 10Nov 24
32°FApr 4Mar 24Mar 8Nov 7Nov 21Dec 8
28°FMar 26Mar 11Feb 24Nov 18Dec 5Dec 25

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 13 days
Brussels Sprouts
August 1August 15

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Dundalk, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 20 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

MD SCI CTR BALTIMORE
Primary
10 km · 6 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 24
FALL
Nov 21
CYLBURN
17 km · 72 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 2
FALL
Nov 7
BALTIMORE WASH INTL AP
20 km · 48 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 10
FALL
Oct 31

Dundalk planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Dundalk, MD?

Plan for the last spring frost in Dundalk around March 24 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Dundalk, MD?

The first fall frost in Dundalk typically arrives around November 21 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is Dundalk in?

Dundalk is in USDA hardiness zone 8a. In zone 8a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Dundalk?

Dundalk has about 242 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (March 24) and first fall frost (November 21).

When should I plant tomatoes in Dundalk?

For Dundalk, sow tomatoes indoors about January 27–February 10 and move the seedlings out around March 31, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Dundalk

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Dundalk’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at MD SCI CTR BALTIMORE, 10 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Dundalk, MD — Frost Dates & Zone 8a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00093784. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/maryland/dundalk.