USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 98362 — Port Angeles, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Port Angeles, WA (90 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Port Angeles, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 252 days (NOAA, Port Angeles, WA).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 252 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
- 6%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Port Angeles
Half of springs at Port Angeles, WA see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 17, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 26 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 52% of the 113 Washington stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 19 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 6, 26 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 252 days in a typical year, longer than at 95% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 222 one year in ten. On average 26 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 28 days longer, to about April 9, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 62% of winters and 16°F in 2%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 24°F62% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 | Feb 17 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% 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 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 15 |
| 24°F62% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 30 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Port Angeles, 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 98362 →Compare Port Angeles with another place →
Weather by month in Port Angeles
August is the warmest month at Port Angeles, WA, averaging 67°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 44°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 89% of years and March still brings one in 70% of years and April still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,363 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 113 Washington stations. 27% of them (375) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 343. Precipitation totals 26.7 inches a year, most in November (4.4") 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 | 45 | 37 | 3.8 | 94% | 8 | 1 |
| Feb | 46 | 37 | 2.4 | 89% | 5 | 0 |
| Mar | 49 | 39 | 2.4 | 70% | 3 | 3 |
| Apr | 54 | 42 | 1.6 | 10% | <1 | 26 |
| May | 60 | 48 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 127 |
| Jun | 63 | 51 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 218 |
| Jul | 67 | 55 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 338 |
| Aug | 67 | 55 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 343 |
| Sep | 65 | 51 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 239 |
| Oct | 56 | 45 | 3.2 | 9% | 1 | 61 |
| Nov | 49 | 40 | 4.4 | 78% | 4 | 6 |
| Dec | 44 | 37 | 4.2 | 94% | 6 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Port Angeles, WA (90 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, Elwha Rs, WA, 10 miles southwest of Port Angeles and 270 feet higher, has a last frost 28 days later (April 9), a first frost 16 days earlier (November 3), a season 43 days shorter.
When it snows in Port Angeles, Washington
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Port Angeles, WA, 1.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 98362
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 98362 is 2 miles from Port Angeles, WA, which stands at 90 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98362 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.