USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 98541 — Elma, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elma, WA (70 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Elma, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 169 days (NOAA, Elma, WA).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 169 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
- 40%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elma
Half of springs at Elma, WA see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 19 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 56% of the 113 Washington stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 14 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 169 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 143 one year in ten. On average 69 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 18 days longer, to about May 19, and return around September 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 45%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 | May 19 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 2 | Jun 11 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 | Apr 18 | Apr 25 | May 3 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 19 | Jan 1 | Jan 16 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Oct 31 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Nov 11 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Jan 1 | Jan 17 | Feb 8 |
| 16°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elma, 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 98541 →Compare Elma with another place →
Weather by month in Elma
August is the warmest month at Elma, WA, averaging 80°F by day and 52°F at night; December is the coldest at 47°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,043 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 113 Washington stations. 30% of them (617) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 482. Precipitation totals 72.1 inches a year, most in November (11.4") 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 | 49 | 35 | 11.1 | 100% | 13 | 3 |
| Feb | 52 | 34 | 7.0 | 100% | 12 | 4 |
| Mar | 56 | 36 | 8.2 | 100% | 10 | 21 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 5.4 | 95% | 5 | 72 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 3.3 | 50% | 2 | 206 |
| Jun | 72 | 48 | 2.2 | 1% | 0 | 311 |
| Jul | 78 | 52 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 467 |
| Aug | 80 | 52 | 1.4 | 0% | 0 | 482 |
| Sep | 75 | 48 | 2.7 | 12% | <1 | 342 |
| Oct | 64 | 41 | 7.2 | 80% | 4 | 116 |
| Nov | 53 | 37 | 11.4 | 99% | 10 | 17 |
| Dec | 47 | 34 | 11.4 | 100% | 13 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elma, WA (70 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, Shelton Sanderson Field, WA, 19 miles northeast of Elma and 201 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 27), a first frost 2 days later (October 16), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Elma, Washington
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elma, WA, 1.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 98541
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 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 98541 is 2 miles from Elma, WA, which stands at 70 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98541 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.