Fall in zone 7bPhoto: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost dates for ZIP 19802 (Wilmington, DE)
Average last spring and first fall frost dates with 10%, 50% and 90% odds, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the nearest weather station, Wilmington Porter Rsch, DE (2 miles away).
- Average last spring frostApr 750% chance of a 32°F freeze after this date
- Average first fall frostNov 450% chance of a 32°F freeze by this date
- Growing season (frost-free)209 daysmedian, 32°F threshold
- USDA hardiness zone7b5 to 10°F avg. coldest night
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This week in your yard
As of Oct 18, 2026, from your frost dates, zone and soil temperature. Lawn timing · Vegetables · Pruning · Plants
Soil temperature now
2-inch depth
61°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 58°F, as of Oct 18, 1:00 AM CDT
Estimate Not a measurement at this ZIP: distance-weighted average of Avondale 2 N (16 mi).
4-inch depth
62°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 60°F, as of Oct 18, 1:00 AM CDT
Estimate Not a measurement at this ZIP: distance-weighted average of Avondale 2 N (16 mi).
Fall: Texas A&M AgriLife times fall pre-emergent (for winter weeds such as annual bluegrass) to soil cooling to about 70°F for several days. The 50–55°F band is the spring trigger. Always read and follow the product label.
7-day forecast and frost risk
The latest National Weather Service 7-day forecast and any Frost Advisory or Freeze Warning for 19802 load here. You can also open the NWS forecast for this ZIP.
Pre-emergent
Soil is 62°F at 4 inches (estimated soil temperature, not a station reading). Fall pre-emergent (annual bluegrass, winter weeds): window open as soil cools through the 70s and 60s.
Fertilizer window
Lawn region: Transition zone. Timing only; always follow the product label.
- Bermudagrass (warm-season): Spring: Several weeks after the lawn is fully green (April–May) (about May 23 here, using green-up about 3–4 weeks after your average last frost); Summer: Every 4–6 weeks through mid-August (heaviest feeder of the group); Late: Light, low-nitrogen/high-potassium feeding about 4 weeks before first frost, or skip. Avoid: Heavy late-fall nitrogen (linked to spring dead spot).
- Tall fescue (cool-season): Early fall: September (main feeding); Late fall: November, while still green; Late winter: Optional light feeding February–March. Avoid: Feeding after mid-spring and through summer in the transition zone (stress and brown patch).
Plant now
Prune now
No frost-timed pruning windows are open this week.
Your average first frost is Nov 4: skip heavy pruning in the 6–8 weeks before it, because new growth may not harden off in time.
Spring-flowering shrubs are pruned right after their flowers fade, not by date. See the pruning guide.
Last spring frost odds
| Chance of a 32°F freeze after this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 90% (early: most years still freeze after this) | Mar 26 |
| 50% (the "average" last frost) | Apr 7 |
| 10% (cautious: only 1 year in 10 freezes later) | Apr 24 |
Most gardeners plant frost-tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) after the 50% date, and closer to the 10% date for less risk.
First fall frost odds
| Chance the first 32°F freeze has happened by this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 10% (early: 1 year in 10 freezes this soon) | Oct 21 |
| 50% (the "average" first frost) | Nov 4 |
| 90% (late: most years have frozen by now) | Nov 19 |
Light frost, freeze and hard freeze
| Threshold | Last spring (50%) | First fall (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost possible on clear, calm nights) | Apr 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 7 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 29 | Nov 15 |
n/a means NOAA did not publish a date at that threshold for this station (usually because it rarely gets that cold).
Vegetable planting calendar for 19802
Dates count from your average last spring frost (Apr 7) and first fall frost (Nov 4). Half of years have a frost after the spring date, so give tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash) some slack.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring planting | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 10–24 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) | – |
| Pepper (sweet and hot) | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) | – |
| Eggplant | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) | – |
| Tomatillo | Feb 10–24 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) | – |
| Lettuce | Feb 10–24 | Mar 17–Apr 7 (transplant) Mar 10–Apr 21 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–30 (transplant) Aug 26–Sep 23 (sowing) |
| Spinach | – | Feb 24–Mar 17 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–30 (sowing) |
| Kale | Feb 10–24 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) Mar 10–24 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–Sep 9 (transplant) Jul 29–Aug 26 (sowing) |
| Collards | Feb 10–24 | Mar 10–Apr 7 (transplant) Mar 10–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–Sep 9 (transplant) Jul 29–Aug 26 (sowing) |
| Broccoli | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 29–Aug 26 (transplant) |
| Cabbage | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 29–Aug 26 (transplant) |
| Cauliflower | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 24–Apr 7 (transplant) | Jul 29–Aug 26 (transplant) |
| Brussels sprouts | Jan 13–27 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 15–Aug 5 (transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Feb 10–24 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) Mar 10–24 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Bok choy / Asian greens | – | Mar 10–24 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Arugula | – | Mar 10–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–Oct 7 (sowing) |
| Mustard greens | – | Mar 10–31 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Swiss chard | Feb 24–Mar 10 | Mar 24–Apr 14 (transplant) Mar 24–Apr 21 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Beet | – | Mar 10–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Carrot | – | Mar 17–Apr 14 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–26 (sowing) |
| Radish | – | Mar 3–Apr 14 (sow outdoors) | Sep 23–Oct 7 (sowing) |
| Turnip | – | Mar 10–31 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Parsnip | – | Mar 17–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pea (garden, snap, snow) | – | Feb 10–Mar 10 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–26 (sowing) |
| Onion (bulbing) | Jan 13–27 | Feb 24–Mar 10 (transplant) | – |
| Green onion / scallion | – | Feb 24–Mar 24 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Leek | Jan 13–27 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | – |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 23–Oct 21 (sowing) |
| Shallot | – | Feb 24–Mar 10 (transplant) | Sep 23–Oct 21 (sowing) |
| Potato | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 15–29 (transplant) |
| Sweet potato | – | Apr 28–May 12 (transplant) | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, bush (snap) | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, pole | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Lima bean | – | Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Southern pea (cowpea, black-eyed pea) | – | Apr 28–May 19 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cucumber | Mar 10–17 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Mar 10–17 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Winter squash | Mar 10–17 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pumpkin | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Watermelon | Mar 10–17 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cantaloupe / muskmelon | Mar 10–17 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Okra | Feb 24–Mar 10 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Celery | Jan 13–27 | Apr 14–21 (transplant) | – |
| Basil | Feb 24–Mar 10 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cilantro | – | Mar 24–Apr 21 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Parsley | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 24–Apr 7 (transplant) Mar 17–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Dill | – | Apr 7–21 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Sunflower | – | Apr 7–21 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Asparagus (crowns) | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | – |
| Rhubarb (crowns) | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | – |
| Strawberry (plants) | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Aug 26–Sep 23 (transplant) |
Typical ranges from university extension planting calendars, adjusted to your frost dates. Probabilities, not guarantees. Fall windows that would overlap spring planting are left out, as are fall crops of frost-tender plants where the frost-free season is under 210 days.
Where these numbers come from
Station: Wilmington Porter Rsch, DE (NOAA GHCN-Daily ID USC00079605), elevation 270 ft, 1.6 miles from the ZIP's center point. NOAA completeness flag: S (standard, 24+ years).
Nearby stations
| Station | Distance | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington New Castle Co AP, DE | 7 mi | Apr 7 | Nov 1 |
| Marcus Hook, PA | 7 mi | Mar 30 | Nov 16 |
| Newark AG Farm, DE | 13 mi | Apr 7 | Nov 2 |
The average last-frost dates of these stations span 8 days, a rough guide to local variation. See data sources & methods.
Frost questions for 19802
When is the last frost in 19802?
The average (50% chance) last spring freeze of 32°F for ZIP 19802 is April 7. For a more cautious planting date, use April 24, when only 1 year in 10 still sees a later freeze.
When is the first frost in 19802?
The average first fall freeze is November 4. In 1 year in 10 it comes by October 21.
What hardiness zone is 19802?
ZIP 19802 is in USDA zone 7b (5 to 10°F average coldest winter night), per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP listing.
What is the soil temperature in 19802 right now?
This page shows the latest 2-inch and 4-inch soil temperature from the nearest public soil station (USDA SCAN, NOAA USCRN or TexMesonet), or a labeled estimate when no station is close, against the 50–55°F spring pre-emergent band.
Nearby ZIP codes
19809 Wilmington 19806 Wilmington 19801 Wilmington 19803 19805 Wilmington 19710 19732 19810 Arden
Other ZIP codes in New Castle County
19701 19702 19703 19706 19707 19709 19710 19711 19713 19716 19717 19720 19730 19731 19732 19733 19734 19735 19736 19801 19803 19804 19805 19806 All New Castle County frost dates · Delaware frost dates
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Weekly yard timing, plus frost and soil-temperature alerts for your ZIP code.
- Freeze alerts
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Free. One weekly email plus alerts when your ZIP has a frost or a soil-temperature change worth acting on. After you submit, Kit (our email provider) sends a confirmation email: check your email and click the link to confirm. You aren't subscribed until you do. We collect only your email address and ZIP, sent to Kit to deliver The Dial. Unsubscribe anytime.