USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 98006 — Bellevue, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Renton Municipal Airport, WA (29 ft), 6 miles southwest.
Updated
In Bellevue, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 16, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 248 days (NOAA, Renton Municipal Airport, WA).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 16
- Growing season
- 248 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 30%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bellevue
Half of springs at Renton Municipal Airport, WA see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 19, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 56% of the 113 Washington stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 16 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past December 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 6, 25 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 248 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 280 days one year in ten and falls short of 221 one year in ten. On average 30 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 24 days longer, to about April 6, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 71% of winters and 16°F in 6%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 15 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 24°F71% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 22 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 9 |
| 24°F71% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 17 | Feb 9 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Renton Municipal Airport, WA, 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 98006 →Compare Bellevue with another place →
Weather by month in Bellevue
August is the warmest month at Renton Municipal Airport, WA, averaging 78°F by day and 57°F at night; December is the coldest at 47°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,336 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 113 Washington stations. 31% of them (719) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 543. Precipitation totals 34.6 inches a year, most in November (5.6") and least in July (0.6"); May to September bring 18% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 37 | 4.9 | 95% | 7 | 6 |
| Feb | 50 | 37 | 3.2 | 94% | 7 | 5 |
| Mar | 55 | 40 | 3.7 | 72% | 3 | 25 |
| Apr | 60 | 43 | 2.8 | 10% | <1 | 76 |
| May | 66 | 49 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 238 |
| Jun | 71 | 54 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 369 |
| Jul | 77 | 58 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 538 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 543 |
| Sep | 72 | 53 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 371 |
| Oct | 61 | 46 | 3.5 | 14% | <1 | 138 |
| Nov | 52 | 40 | 5.6 | 74% | 4 | 24 |
| Dec | 47 | 37 | 4.5 | 97% | 8 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Renton Municipal Airport, WA (29 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, Seattle Boeing Field, WA, 7 miles west of Bellevue, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day later (November 17), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Bellevue, Washington
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Kent, WA, 10.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 98006
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 16 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 98006 is 6 miles from Renton Municipal Airport, WA, which stands at 29 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 98058 (Renton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98006 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Washington →
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.