USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 97862 — Milton Freewater, Oregon
Averages from Milton Freewater, Or US, the nearest reporting station, 1.9 miles away.
Plant tender crops after March 25, and expect the first autumn freeze around October 29. That leaves about 218 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 218 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
0 to 5°F annual low
Planting calendar for 97862
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after March 25 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Milton Freewater, Oregon are past their last freeze. Harvest before October 29, which leaves roughly 218 frost-free days.
ZIP 97862 sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 0 to 5°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.