USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 97009 — Boring, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Portland Troutdale Airport, OR (29 ft), 9 miles north.
Updated
In Boring, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 16 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 250 days (NOAA, Portland Troutdale Airport, OR).
- Last spring frost
- March 16
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 250 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 19%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Boring
Half of springs at Portland Troutdale Airport, OR see their last 32°F night by March 16; only one in ten is past it by February 18, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 27 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 75% of the 103 Oregon stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 20 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 25 days later, around December 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 10, 33 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 250 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 288 days one year in ten and falls short of 216 one year in ten. On average 28 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 34 days longer, to about April 19, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 51% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 15 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 |
| 24°F51% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 16 | Feb 3 |
| 24°F51% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 13 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Portland Troutdale Airport, OR, 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 97009 →Compare Boring with another place →
Weather by month in Boring
August is the warmest month at Portland Troutdale Airport, OR, averaging 82°F by day and 57°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 89% of years and March still brings one in 66% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,697 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 103 Oregon stations. 31% of them (844) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 608. Precipitation totals 40.7 inches a year, most in December (6.2") and least in July (0.6"); May to September bring 20% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 37 | 5.0 | 90% | 7 | 5 |
| Feb | 51 | 38 | 3.7 | 89% | 6 | 9 |
| Mar | 57 | 40 | 4.4 | 66% | 4 | 41 |
| Apr | 62 | 43 | 3.6 | 23% | 1 | 105 |
| May | 69 | 49 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 279 |
| Jun | 74 | 53 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 405 |
| Jul | 82 | 57 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 608 |
| Sep | 76 | 52 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 432 |
| Oct | 64 | 46 | 4.0 | 12% | 1 | 180 |
| Nov | 53 | 42 | 5.8 | 63% | 3 | 33 |
| Dec | 46 | 37 | 6.2 | 89% | 7 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Portland Troutdale Airport, OR (29 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, Troutdale, OR, 9 miles north of Boring, has a last frost 10 days later (March 26), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 17), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Boring, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Troutdale, OR, 8.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97009
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 5 – January 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 19 – February 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 16 – March 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 97009 is 9 miles from Portland Troutdale Airport, OR, which stands at 29 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 97080 (Gresham). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97009 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.