USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 97701 — Bend, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bend, OR (3,660 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Bend, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 6 in half of years and has passed by June 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 20, as early as September 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 105 days (NOAA, Bend, OR).
- Last spring frost
- June 6
- First fall frost
- September 20
- Growing season
- 105 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 25
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 21.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bend
Half of springs at Bend, OR see their last 32°F night by June 6; only one in ten is past it by May 17, and one in ten still has one after June 22. Planting tender crops after June 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 18 20%, and after June 22 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 91% of the 103 Oregon stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 20 in half of years, as early as September 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 4, 18 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 105 days in a typical year, shorter than at 93% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 129 days one year in ten and falls short of 81 one year in ten. On average 168 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 17 | May 24 | May 30 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 10 | Jun 14 | Jun 18 | Jun 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 20 | May 28 | Jun 4 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 20°F | Mar 1 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 | Apr 25 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 3 | Sep 8 | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 5 |
| 28°F | Sep 18 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 24°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
| 16°F | Oct 27 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bend, 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 97701 →Compare Bend with another place →
Weather by month in Bend
July is the warmest month at Bend, OR, averaging 84°F by day and 49°F at night; December is the coldest at 41°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 65% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,757 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 103 Oregon stations. 23% of them (413) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 502. Precipitation totals 10.8 inches a year, most in December (2.1") and least in September (0.3"); May to September bring 26% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 25 | 1.4 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Feb | 46 | 24 | 1.0 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Mar | 52 | 28 | 0.7 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
| Apr | 58 | 31 | 0.8 | 100% | 19 | 28 |
| May | 66 | 37 | 1.0 | 97% | 9 | 126 |
| Jun | 74 | 42 | 0.7 | 65% | 2 | 251 |
| Jul | 84 | 49 | 0.4 | 1% | 0 | 502 |
| Aug | 83 | 48 | 0.4 | 7% | <1 | 483 |
| Sep | 76 | 41 | 0.3 | 79% | 3 | 273 |
| Oct | 63 | 34 | 0.7 | 100% | 14 | 78 |
| Nov | 49 | 28 | 1.3 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 41 | 23 | 2.1 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bend, OR (3,660 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, Redmond Roberts Field, OR, 14 miles northeast of Bend and 617 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days later (June 9), a first frost 6 days earlier (September 14), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Bend, Oregon
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bend usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bend, OR, 2.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 73 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 97701
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 28 – April 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 9 – May 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 20 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 97701 is 3 miles from Bend, OR, which stands at 3,660 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 97702 (Bend). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97701 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.