USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 98024 — Fall City, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Snoqualmie Falls, WA (440 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fall City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Snoqualmie Falls, WA).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 223 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
- November 29
- Last snow
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 42"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fall City
Half of springs at Snoqualmie Falls, WA see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 4, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 71% of the 113 Washington stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around November 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 27 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, longer than at 74% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 54 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 27 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 22. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 83% of winters and 16°F in 10%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Mar 4 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F83% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 22 | Jan 4 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 31 |
| 24°F83% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Feb 6 |
| 20°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Snoqualmie Falls, 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 98024 →Compare Fall City with another place →
Weather by month in Fall City
August is the warmest month at Snoqualmie Falls, WA, averaging 77°F by day and 54°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 88% of years and April still brings one in 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,889 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 113 Washington stations. 29% of them (552) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 471. Precipitation totals 63.1 inches a year, most in November (9.5") and least in July (1.2"); May to September bring 20% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 36 | 8.6 | 96% | 11 | 4 |
| Feb | 50 | 35 | 5.8 | 92% | 12 | 6 |
| Mar | 54 | 37 | 6.7 | 88% | 8 | 19 |
| Apr | 59 | 40 | 5.3 | 45% | 3 | 56 |
| May | 64 | 46 | 4.0 | 3% | <1 | 172 |
| Jun | 69 | 51 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 295 |
| Jul | 76 | 54 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 462 |
| Aug | 77 | 54 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 471 |
| Sep | 70 | 49 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 294 |
| Oct | 60 | 44 | 6.2 | 30% | 2 | 94 |
| Nov | 51 | 38 | 9.5 | 86% | 8 | 15 |
| Dec | 46 | 36 | 8.4 | 99% | 11 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Snoqualmie Falls, WA (440 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, Cedar Lake, WA, 12 miles southeast of Fall City and 1,120 feet higher, has a last frost 24 days later (April 23), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 1), a season 30 days shorter.
When it snows in Fall City, Washington
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fall City usually arrives around November 29, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cedar Lake, WA, 12.1 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 6 days before the last snow.
Planting calendar for 98024
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 98024 is 3 miles from Snoqualmie Falls, WA, which stands at 440 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 98029 (Issaquah). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98024 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.