USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 97520 — Ashland, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ashland, OR (1,729 ft), 6 miles northwest.
Updated
In Ashland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 8, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 154 days (NOAA, Ashland, OR).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 8
- Growing season
- 154 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ashland
Half of springs at Ashland, OR see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 27 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 55% 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 8 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 18 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 23 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 154 days in a typical year, shorter than at 78% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 177 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 115 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 23 days longer, to about May 29, and return around September 23. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 59%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 12 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 | Jun 10 | Jun 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 | May 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 12 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F59% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 6 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 7 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 11 |
| 16°F59% of yrs | Nov 20 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ashland, 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 97520 →Compare Ashland with another place →
Weather by month in Ashland
July is the warmest month at Ashland, OR, averaging 88°F by day and 51°F at night; December is the coldest at 47°F and 29°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,333 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 60% of the 103 Oregon stations. 29% of them (667) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 600. Precipitation totals 19.6 inches a year, most in December (3.4") and least in July (0.4"); May to September bring 19% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 2.4 | 100% | 21 | 4 |
| Feb | 54 | 30 | 2.0 | 100% | 19 | 6 |
| Mar | 58 | 32 | 2.0 | 100% | 17 | 18 |
| Apr | 63 | 35 | 2.0 | 99% | 10 | 62 |
| May | 71 | 41 | 1.6 | 66% | 2 | 211 |
| Jun | 79 | 46 | 0.9 | 5% | 0 | 366 |
| Jul | 88 | 51 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Aug | 87 | 49 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 570 |
| Sep | 81 | 43 | 0.5 | 26% | 1 | 364 |
| Oct | 68 | 36 | 1.4 | 91% | 8 | 113 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 2.6 | 100% | 16 | 15 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 3.4 | 100% | 21 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ashland, OR (1,729 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, Medford Rogue Vly Airport, OR, 20 miles northwest of Ashland and 432 feet lower, has a last frost 28 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 21 days later (October 29), a season 50 days longer.
When it snows in Ashland, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ashland, OR, 5.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97520
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 8 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 97520 is 6 miles from Ashland, OR, which stands at 1,729 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97520 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.