USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 98366 — Port Orchard, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bremerton, WA (110 ft), 5 miles northwest.
Updated
In Port Orchard, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Bremerton, WA).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 227 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Port Orchard
Half of springs at Bremerton, WA see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 24 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 89% 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 14 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 28 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 257 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 42 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 25, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 87% of winters and 16°F in 5%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 15 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Jan 24 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 |
| 20°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bremerton, 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 98366 →Compare Port Orchard with another place →
Weather by month in Port Orchard
August is the warmest month at Bremerton, WA, averaging 77°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 35°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,058 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 113 Washington stations. 29% of them (603) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 502. Precipitation totals 56.9 inches a year, most in December (9.9") and least in July (0.8"); May to September bring 14% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 36 | 9.3 | 96% | 10 | 2 |
| Feb | 49 | 35 | 5.8 | 97% | 10 | 2 |
| Mar | 54 | 38 | 6.4 | 88% | 5 | 18 |
| Apr | 59 | 41 | 3.9 | 40% | 1 | 60 |
| May | 66 | 47 | 2.4 | 6% | <1 | 201 |
| Jun | 70 | 51 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 320 |
| Jul | 77 | 55 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 482 |
| Aug | 77 | 55 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 502 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 1.8 | 1% | 0 | 345 |
| Oct | 61 | 45 | 5.1 | 15% | <1 | 111 |
| Nov | 51 | 39 | 8.8 | 88% | 5 | 14 |
| Dec | 46 | 35 | 9.9 | 100% | 11 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bremerton, WA (110 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, 14 miles east of Port Orchard, has a last frost 16 days earlier (March 13), a first frost 3 days later (November 17), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Port Orchard, Washington
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wauna 3 W, WA, 12.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 98366
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 98366 is 5 miles from Bremerton, WA, which stands at 110 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 13 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98366 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.