USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 97539 — Shady Cove, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lost Creek Dam, OR (1,580 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Shady Cove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 171 days (NOAA, Lost Creek Dam, OR).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 171 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
- 19%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Shady Cove
Half of springs at Lost Creek Dam, OR see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 19 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 October 17 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 21 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 171 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 109 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 19 days longer, to about May 18, and return around October 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 37%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 6 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 26 | May 31 | Jun 7 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 3 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 19 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 |
| 16°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Nov 9 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lost Creek Dam, 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 97539 →Compare Shady Cove with another place →
Weather by month in Shady Cove
July is the warmest month at Lost Creek Dam, OR, averaging 90°F by day and 52°F at night; December is the coldest at 47°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,697 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 103 Oregon stations. 29% of them (771) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 656. Precipitation totals 32.9 inches a year, most in December (6.3") and least in August (0.3"); May to September bring 14% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 31 | 4.9 | 100% | 21 | 1 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 3.4 | 100% | 19 | 5 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 3.5 | 100% | 16 | 29 |
| Apr | 64 | 37 | 2.9 | 90% | 9 | 91 |
| May | 72 | 43 | 2.0 | 41% | 2 | 246 |
| Jun | 80 | 47 | 1.1 | 2% | <1 | 399 |
| Jul | 90 | 52 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 656 |
| Aug | 91 | 51 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Sep | 84 | 45 | 0.8 | 9% | 1 | 447 |
| Oct | 70 | 38 | 2.4 | 86% | 7 | 161 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 4.9 | 98% | 15 | 15 |
| Dec | 47 | 31 | 6.3 | 100% | 20 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lost Creek Dam, OR (1,580 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, 16 miles south of Shady Cove and 283 feet lower, has a last frost 21 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 12 days later (October 29), a season 33 days longer.
When it snows in Shady Cove, Oregon
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lost Creek Dam, OR, 8.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 97539
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 97539 is 8 miles from Lost Creek Dam, OR, which stands at 1,580 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97539 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.