USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 97734 — Culver, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Madras 2 N, OR (2,443 ft), 12 miles north.
Updated
In Culver, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 19 in half of years and has passed by June 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 136 days (NOAA, Madras 2 N, OR).
- Last spring frost
- May 19
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 136 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 4
- Last snow
- February 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 14.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Culver
Half of springs at Madras 2 N, OR see their last 32°F night by May 19; only one in ten is past it by May 2, and one in ten still has one after June 7. Planting tender crops after May 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 31 20%, and after June 7 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% of the 103 Oregon stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 20 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 20, 18 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 136 days in a typical year, shorter than at 84% of the 103 Oregon stations; it reaches 159 days one year in ten and falls short of 110 one year in ten. On average 143 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 June 10, and return around September 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and February 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 21 | May 28 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 | Jun 10 | Jun 14 | Jun 17 | Jun 22 | Jun 28 |
| 32°F | May 2 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 | May 23 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 7 |
| 28°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 8 | May 13 | May 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Jan 15 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 2 | Sep 8 | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Madras 2 N, 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 97734 →Compare Culver with another place →
Weather by month in Culver
July is the warmest month at Madras 2 N, OR, averaging 87°F by day and 50°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 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,059 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 103 Oregon stations. 26% of them (532) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 567. Precipitation totals 11.3 inches a year, most in December (1.6") and least in August (0.3"); May to September bring 27% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 24 | 1.4 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 1.1 | 100% | 22 | 1 |
| Mar | 54 | 28 | 0.9 | 100% | 22 | 9 |
| Apr | 61 | 31 | 1.1 | 100% | 16 | 34 |
| May | 69 | 39 | 1.3 | 90% | 5 | 166 |
| Jun | 77 | 44 | 0.8 | 20% | <1 | 322 |
| Jul | 87 | 50 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Aug | 86 | 50 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 558 |
| Sep | 78 | 43 | 0.3 | 38% | 1 | 320 |
| Oct | 63 | 35 | 0.9 | 99% | 9 | 74 |
| Nov | 49 | 28 | 1.2 | 100% | 19 | 7 |
| Dec | 41 | 23 | 1.6 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Madras 2 N, OR (2,443 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, Pelton Dam, OR, 16 miles north of Culver and 1,033 feet lower, has a last frost 14 days earlier (May 5), a first frost 3 days later (October 7), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Culver, Oregon
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Culver usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around February 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Madras 2 N, OR, 11.8 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 86 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 97734
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 10 – March 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 21 – May 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 97734 is 12 miles from Madras 2 N, OR, which stands at 2,443 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 97741 (Madras). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 97734 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.