USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 98363 — Port Angeles, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elwha Rs, WA (360 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Port Angeles, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Elwha Rs, WA).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 209 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 Elwha Rs, WA see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 19, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 29 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 3 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 21 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 30 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 235 days one year in ten and falls short of 185 one year in ten. On average 66 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 May 3, and return around October 19. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 90% of winters and 16°F in 15%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Feb 3 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Dec 13 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F54% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 17 |
| 16°F15% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 8 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F54% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 22 | Feb 7 |
| 16°F15% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elwha Rs, 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 98363 →Compare Port Angeles with another place →
Weather by month in Port Angeles
August is the warmest month at Elwha Rs, WA, averaging 75°F by day and 52°F at night; December is the coldest at 41°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,440 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 113 Washington stations. 26% of them (374) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 405. Precipitation totals 57.8 inches a year, most in November (10.1") and least in July (0.7"); May to September bring 12% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 33 | 8.9 | 99% | 15 | 0 |
| Feb | 44 | 33 | 6.1 | 99% | 14 | 0 |
| Mar | 50 | 35 | 6.9 | 96% | 10 | 2 |
| Apr | 56 | 38 | 3.3 | 68% | 3 | 26 |
| May | 63 | 43 | 1.9 | 8% | <1 | 128 |
| Jun | 67 | 47 | 1.4 | 0% | 0 | 218 |
| Jul | 74 | 51 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 377 |
| Aug | 75 | 52 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 405 |
| Sep | 68 | 48 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 244 |
| Oct | 56 | 42 | 5.9 | 41% | 1 | 40 |
| Nov | 46 | 36 | 10.1 | 96% | 7 | 1 |
| Dec | 41 | 33 | 9.9 | 100% | 16 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elwha Rs, WA (360 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, Port Angeles, WA, 10 miles east of Port Angeles and 270 feet lower, has a last frost 28 days earlier (March 12), a first frost 16 days later (November 19), a season 43 days longer.
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, 9.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 98363
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 98363 is 6 miles from Elwha Rs, WA, which stands at 360 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98363 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.