USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 97385 — Sublimity, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stayton, OR (425 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Sublimity, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Stayton, OR).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 222 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 Sublimity
Half of springs at Stayton, OR see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 18 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 64% of the 103 Oregon stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 26, 23 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, longer than at 66% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 194 one year in ten. On average 51 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 28 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 22. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 91% of winters and 16°F in 22%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Feb 1 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Dec 17 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 3 | Jan 17 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stayton, 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 97385 →Compare Sublimity with another place →
Weather by month in Sublimity
July is the warmest month at Stayton, OR, averaging 81°F by day and 54°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,257 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 103 Oregon stations. 29% of them (657) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 533. Precipitation totals 52.7 inches a year, most in December (8.5") and least in July (0.5"); May to September bring 16% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 34 | 7.2 | 100% | 12 | 5 |
| Feb | 51 | 35 | 5.5 | 98% | 11 | 6 |
| Mar | 55 | 37 | 6.2 | 90% | 6 | 23 |
| Apr | 60 | 41 | 4.8 | 39% | 1 | 71 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 3.3 | 2% | 0 | 207 |
| Jun | 73 | 50 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 345 |
| Jul | 81 | 54 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 533 |
| Aug | 81 | 53 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 530 |
| Sep | 75 | 49 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 373 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 4.7 | 33% | 1 | 137 |
| Nov | 52 | 38 | 7.2 | 89% | 8 | 22 |
| Dec | 46 | 34 | 8.5 | 100% | 12 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stayton, OR (425 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, Silver Creek Falls, OR, 6 miles east of Sublimity and 925 feet higher, has a last frost 32 days later (April 30), a first frost 15 days earlier (October 22), a season 48 days shorter.
When it snows in Sublimity, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Stayton, OR, 4.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97385
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 97385 is 5 miles from Stayton, OR, which stands at 425 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 97383 (Stayton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97385 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.