USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 98382 — Sequim, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sequim 2 E, WA (50 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Sequim, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 181 days (NOAA, Sequim 2 E, WA).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 181 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
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sequim
Half of springs at Sequim 2 E, WA see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 74% of the 113 Washington stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 20 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 18 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 20 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 181 days in a typical year, shorter than at 58% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 89 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 16 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 42%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Jan 11 | Feb 1 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 13 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 21 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 29 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sequim 2 E, 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 98382 →Compare Sequim with another place →
Weather by month in Sequim
July is the warmest month at Sequim 2 E, WA, averaging 70°F by day and 52°F at night; December is the coldest at 46°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,249 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 113 Washington stations. 28% of them (351) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 334. Precipitation totals 16.9 inches a year, most in November (2.6") and least in July (0.5"); May to September bring 24% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 32 | 2.2 | 100% | 17 | 1 |
| Feb | 48 | 32 | 1.4 | 100% | 17 | 1 |
| Mar | 51 | 35 | 1.5 | 100% | 13 | 3 |
| Apr | 56 | 38 | 1.2 | 91% | 6 | 20 |
| May | 62 | 44 | 1.2 | 22% | 1 | 113 |
| Jun | 65 | 49 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 214 |
| Jul | 70 | 52 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 333 |
| Aug | 70 | 51 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 334 |
| Sep | 66 | 46 | 0.9 | 5% | <1 | 186 |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 1.6 | 83% | 4 | 40 |
| Nov | 50 | 35 | 2.6 | 100% | 13 | 4 |
| Dec | 46 | 32 | 2.3 | 100% | 19 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sequim 2 E, WA (50 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, 16 miles west of Sequim, has a last frost 40 days earlier (March 12), a first frost 30 days later (November 19), a season 71 days longer.
When it snows in Sequim, Washington
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sequim 2 E, WA, 1.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 98382
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 98382 is 2 miles from Sequim 2 E, WA, which stands at 50 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98382 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.