USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 97435 — Drain, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Drain, OR (292 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Drain, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, Drain, OR).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 193 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
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Drain
Half of springs at Drain, OR see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by March 23, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 8 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 October 25 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 27 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 34 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 233 days one year in ten and falls short of 161 one year in ten. On average 41 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 22 days longer, to about May 8, and return around October 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 87% of winters and 16°F in 19%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 1 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 8 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 14 | Feb 1 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 9 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 14 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 29 | Nov 4 | Nov 12 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 29 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Nov 2 | Nov 14 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 15 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 20 | Feb 13 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Drain, 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 97435 →Compare Drain with another place →
Weather by month in Drain
August is the warmest month at Drain, OR, averaging 86°F by day and 51°F at night; December is the coldest at 49°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 73% of years and May still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,472 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 66% of the 103 Oregon stations. 30% of them (739) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 564. Precipitation totals 47.5 inches a year, most in December (8.5") 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 | 51 | 35 | 7.3 | 97% | 9 | 6 |
| Feb | 55 | 35 | 5.5 | 96% | 8 | 13 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 5.4 | 91% | 6 | 37 |
| Apr | 64 | 39 | 4.3 | 73% | 2 | 90 |
| May | 71 | 44 | 2.7 | 23% | <1 | 233 |
| Jun | 76 | 48 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 360 |
| Jul | 85 | 52 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 563 |
| Aug | 86 | 51 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 564 |
| Sep | 80 | 46 | 1.4 | 6% | 0 | 398 |
| Oct | 68 | 42 | 3.5 | 60% | 2 | 167 |
| Nov | 55 | 39 | 7.0 | 83% | 5 | 34 |
| Dec | 49 | 35 | 8.5 | 98% | 9 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Drain, OR (292 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, Cottage Grove 2E, OR, 17 miles east of Drain and 303 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days later (April 24), the same first-frost date, a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Drain, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Drain, OR, 3.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97435
| 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 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 97435 is 3 miles from Drain, OR, which stands at 292 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97435 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.