USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 97351 — Independence, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dallas 2 NE, OR (290 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Independence, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 199 days (NOAA, Dallas 2 NE, OR).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 199 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
- 41%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Independence
Half of springs at Dallas 2 NE, OR see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by March 21, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% of the 103 Oregon stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 27 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 199 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 173 one year in ten. On average 49 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 20 days longer, to about May 6, and return around October 13. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 93% of winters and 16°F in 18%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 2 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F52% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 | Feb 10 |
| 16°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F52% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dallas 2 NE, 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 97351 →Compare Independence with another place →
Weather by month in Independence
August is the warmest month at Dallas 2 NE, OR, averaging 83°F by day and 52°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 72% of years and May still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,317 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 103 Oregon stations. 28% of them (653) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 546. Precipitation totals 47.9 inches a year, most in December (8.7") 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 | 35 | 7.5 | 99% | 11 | 4 |
| Feb | 51 | 36 | 5.6 | 99% | 9 | 6 |
| Mar | 56 | 38 | 5.1 | 93% | 7 | 25 |
| Apr | 61 | 40 | 3.7 | 72% | 3 | 72 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 2.4 | 17% | <1 | 216 |
| Jun | 73 | 49 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 330 |
| Jul | 83 | 52 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 536 |
| Aug | 83 | 52 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 546 |
| Sep | 78 | 49 | 1.6 | 1% | 0 | 401 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 3.8 | 48% | 2 | 156 |
| Nov | 52 | 38 | 7.2 | 92% | 6 | 22 |
| Dec | 46 | 35 | 8.7 | 100% | 12 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dallas 2 NE, OR (290 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, Salem Mcnary Field, OR, 10 miles northeast of Independence, has a last frost 13 days earlier (April 3), the same first-frost date, a season 13 days longer.
When it snows in Independence, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dallas 2 NE, OR, 8.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97351
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 97351 is 8 miles from Dallas 2 NE, OR, which stands at 290 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 97338 (Dallas). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97351 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.