USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 98645 — Silverlake, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Toledo Faa Airport, WA (379 ft), 12 miles north.
Updated
In Silverlake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 196 days (NOAA, Toledo Faa Airport, WA).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 196 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Silverlake
Half of springs at Toledo Faa Airport, WA see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 4 10%. The 29 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 96% 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 October 25 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 26 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 196 days in a typical year, longer than at 53% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 237 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 54 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 May 2, and return around October 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 40%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 17 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 | May 13 | May 19 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 | Apr 27 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 18 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F76% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 11 | Dec 26 | Jan 10 | Feb 1 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 15 | Sep 22 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 19 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Oct 2 | Oct 11 | Oct 19 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 20 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Oct 22 | Nov 2 | Nov 11 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 3 | Dec 13 | Dec 28 | Jan 19 |
| 20°F76% of yrs | Nov 4 | Nov 17 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 | Jan 30 | Feb 16 |
| 16°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Toledo Faa Airport, 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 98645 →Compare Silverlake with another place →
Weather by month in Silverlake
August is the warmest month at Toledo Faa Airport, WA, averaging 81°F by day and 51°F at night; December is the coldest at 45°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 50% of years and May still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,092 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 113 Washington stations. 31% of them (653) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 498.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 35 | 98% | 11 | 3 |
| Feb | 51 | 34 | 99% | 11 | 5 |
| Mar | 56 | 38 | 92% | 7 | 25 |
| Apr | 61 | 41 | 50% | 3 | 73 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 16% | 1 | 221 |
| Jun | 72 | 50 | 0% | <1 | 326 |
| Jul | 79 | 52 | 0% | 0 | 485 |
| Aug | 81 | 51 | 0% | 0 | 498 |
| Sep | 75 | 47 | 17% | 1 | 329 |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 54% | 4 | 114 |
| Nov | 52 | 37 | 88% | 7 | 12 |
| Dec | 45 | 35 | 100% | 10 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Toledo Faa Airport, WA (379 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, Longview, WA, 13 miles southwest of Silverlake and 367 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days later (April 8), a first frost 11 days later (November 5), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Silverlake, Washington
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Longview, WA, 13.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 98645
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 98645 is 12 miles from Toledo Faa Airport, WA, which stands at 379 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 98596 (Winlock). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98645 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.