USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 97366 — South Beach, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newport 1 SE, OR (8 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In South Beach, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 19 in half of years and has passed by March 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 16, as early as November 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 306 days (NOAA, Newport 1 SE, OR).
- Last spring frost
- February 19
- First fall frost
- December 16
- Growing season
- 306 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in South Beach
Half of springs at Newport 1 SE, OR see their last 32°F night by February 19; only one in ten is past it by December 28, and one in ten still has one after March 23. Planting tender crops after February 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 10 20%, and after March 23 10%. The 32 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% 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 December 16 in half of years, as early as November 14 one year in ten, and holds off past February 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F is less common: it came in 48% of winters. The freeze-free season lasts 306 days in a typical year, longer than at 98% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 360 days one year in ten and falls short of 259 one year in ten. On average 11 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 45 days longer, to about April 5, and return around November 21. A 24°F night is unusual: 19% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 5 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F92% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 15 | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 10 | Mar 23 |
| 28°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 3 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 |
| 32°F92% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 | Jan 25 | Feb 14 |
| 28°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newport 1 SE, 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 97366 →Compare South Beach with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Newport, OR, 5 miles north of South Beach, has a last frost 30 days later (March 21), a first frost 19 days earlier (November 27), a season 54 days shorter.
When it snows in South Beach, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Newport, OR, 5.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97366
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 11 – December 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 25 – January 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 16 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 97366 is 4 miles from Newport 1 SE, OR, which stands at 8 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 97391 (Toledo). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97366 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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.