USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 97322 — Albany, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Corvallis State Univ, OR (225 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Albany, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Corvallis State Univ, OR).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 194 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Albany
Half of springs at Corvallis State Univ, OR see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by March 22, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 8 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 55% 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 October 28 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 33 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 54 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 May 11, and return around October 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 91% of winters and 16°F in 23%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 20 | May 25 | Jun 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 22 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Jan 25 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 26 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 |
| 20°F55% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 | Feb 11 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 18 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Nov 7 | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F55% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 9 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Corvallis State Univ, 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 97322 →Compare Albany with another place →
Weather by month in Albany
August is the warmest month at Corvallis State Univ, OR, averaging 84°F by day and 51°F at night; December is the coldest at 47°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 89% of years and April still brings one in 72% of years and May still brings one in 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,278 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 103 Oregon stations. 28% of them (642) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 544. Precipitation totals 43.1 inches a year, most in December (7.7") and least in July (0.3"); May to September bring 13% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 34 | 6.5 | 99% | 12 | 4 |
| Feb | 51 | 35 | 4.8 | 98% | 11 | 6 |
| Mar | 56 | 37 | 5.0 | 89% | 7 | 23 |
| Apr | 61 | 40 | 3.3 | 72% | 3 | 67 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 2.3 | 22% | <1 | 206 |
| Jun | 74 | 49 | 1.3 | 2% | 0 | 337 |
| Jul | 83 | 52 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Aug | 84 | 51 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 544 |
| Sep | 78 | 48 | 1.5 | 4% | 0 | 387 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 3.5 | 58% | 2 | 137 |
| Nov | 53 | 38 | 6.5 | 89% | 7 | 21 |
| Dec | 47 | 34 | 7.7 | 100% | 13 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Corvallis State Univ, OR (225 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, Lebanon, OR, 10 miles southeast of Albany, has a last frost 34 days earlier (March 14), a first frost 21 days later (November 18), a season 54 days longer.
When it snows in Albany, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Waterloo, OR, 11.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97322
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 97322 is 6 miles from Corvallis State Univ, OR, which stands at 225 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 97330 (Corvallis). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97322 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.