USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 97479 — Sutherlin, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Winchester, OR (460 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In Sutherlin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 215 days (NOAA, Winchester, OR).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 215 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
- 14%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sutherlin
Half of springs at Winchester, OR see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 26 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 72% 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 November 5 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 26 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 26 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 215 days in a typical year, longer than at 59% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 254 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 38 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 28, and return around October 20. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 66% of winters and 16°F in 7%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 18 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 11 | Feb 1 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 19 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F66% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 18 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 |
| 20°F25% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 24 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Oct 29 | Nov 7 | Nov 14 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F66% of yrs | Nov 12 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 23 | Feb 8 |
| 20°F25% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Winchester, 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 97479 →Compare Sutherlin with another place →
Weather by month in Sutherlin
July is the warmest month at Winchester, OR, averaging 86°F by day and 55°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 February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 88% of years and April still brings one in 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,741 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 81% of the 103 Oregon stations. 30% of them (824) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 632. Precipitation totals 36.2 inches a year, most in December (6.8") 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 | 50 | 35 | 5.4 | 97% | 10 | 5 |
| Feb | 54 | 35 | 4.1 | 94% | 8 | 12 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 4.0 | 88% | 5 | 37 |
| Apr | 64 | 40 | 3.2 | 45% | 1 | 97 |
| May | 71 | 45 | 2.2 | 5% | <1 | 262 |
| Jun | 77 | 50 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 411 |
| Jul | 86 | 55 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Aug | 86 | 54 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Sep | 81 | 49 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 440 |
| Oct | 68 | 43 | 2.6 | 38% | 1 | 182 |
| Nov | 56 | 38 | 5.3 | 78% | 4 | 32 |
| Dec | 49 | 35 | 6.8 | 96% | 9 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Winchester, OR (460 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, Roseburg Regional Airport, OR, 12 miles south of Sutherlin, has a last frost 12 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 15 days later (November 20), a season 30 days longer.
When it snows in Sutherlin, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Oakland, OR, 2.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97479
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 97479 is 9 miles from Winchester, OR, which stands at 460 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97479 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.