USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 97127 — Lafayette, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mc Minnville, OR (155 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In Lafayette, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Mc Minnville, OR).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 216 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
- 37%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lafayette
Half of springs at Mc Minnville, OR see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 27 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 45% 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 7 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 21 days later, around November 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 20, 38 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 46 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 24 days longer, to about April 29, and return around October 22. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 78% of winters and 16°F in 9%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 23 | Feb 3 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 20 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 5 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Jan 2 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Jan 31 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mc Minnville, 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 97127 →Compare Lafayette with another place →
Weather by month in Lafayette
July is the warmest month at Mc Minnville, OR, averaging 83°F by day and 54°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 80% of years and April still brings one in 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,476 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 103 Oregon stations. 30% of them (744) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 578.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 36 | 96% | 11 | 4 |
| Feb | 51 | 36 | 91% | 8 | 6 |
| Mar | 56 | 38 | 80% | 6 | 25 |
| Apr | 62 | 41 | 57% | 2 | 78 |
| May | 70 | 46 | 6% | <1 | 251 |
| Jun | 75 | 50 | 0% | 0 | 381 |
| Jul | 83 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Aug | 83 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 570 |
| Sep | 77 | 50 | 0% | <1 | 410 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 32% | 1 | 152 |
| Nov | 53 | 39 | 85% | 7 | 19 |
| Dec | 46 | 35 | 98% | 11 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mc Minnville, OR (155 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, Mcminnville Municipal Airport, OR, 4 miles south of Lafayette, has a last frost 10 days later (April 15), a first frost 12 days earlier (October 26), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Lafayette, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Mc Minnville, OR, 2.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97127
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 97127 is 3 miles from Mc Minnville, OR, which stands at 155 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 97128 (Mcminnville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97127 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.