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Frost Date Finder

USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

Frost Dates for 98672 — White Salmon, Washington

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Snowden, WA (2,415 ft), 6 miles east.

Updated

In White Salmon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by June 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 149 days (NOAA, Snowden, WA).

Last spring frost
May 12

50% probability

First fall frost
October 11

50% probability

Growing season
149 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7b

5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night

First snow
November 29

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 14

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
84%

21 of 25 observed

Snow per year
17.2"

NOAA normal

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Frost risk by date in White Salmon

Half of springs at Snowden, WA see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after June 7. Planting tender crops after May 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 28 20%, and after June 7 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 October 11 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 26 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 149 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 174 days one year in ten and falls short of 118 one year in ten. On average 141 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 June 8, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between December 14 and February 9.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 17May 26May 31Jun 3Jun 8Jun 14Jun 19Jun 24Jul 2
32°FApr 25Apr 30May 3May 8May 12May 16May 22May 28Jun 7
28°FMar 30Apr 6Apr 13Apr 18Apr 23Apr 27Apr 30May 5May 12
24°FFeb 25Mar 5Mar 9Mar 16Mar 21Mar 27Mar 31Apr 9Apr 20
20°FJan 18Feb 3Feb 12Feb 19Feb 23Feb 28Mar 3Mar 9Mar 17
16°F93% of yrsDec 25Jan 7Jan 20Jan 31Feb 9Feb 15Feb 22Feb 27Mar 6
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 1Sep 9Sep 15Sep 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 24Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28
28°FOct 9Oct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9Nov 16
24°FOct 25Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 4
20°FNov 5Nov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8Dec 16Dec 24
16°F93% of yrsNov 13Nov 25Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14Dec 20Dec 28Jan 5Jan 25

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Snowden, 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 98672 →Compare White Salmon with another place →

Compared with the next station

The nearest other station, Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR, 7 miles south of White Salmon and 1,915 feet lower, has a last frost 22 days earlier (April 20), a first frost 2 days later (October 13), a season 28 days longer.

Frost dates for 97031 (Hood River) →

When it snows in White Salmon, Washington

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in White Salmon usually arrives around November 29, and the last of the season around February 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR, 7.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 84% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 87 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 98672

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for White Salmon, Washington
WhenWhat to do
March 3 – March 17Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 17 – March 31Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 14 – April 28Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 12 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 19Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 27Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 11 onwardPlant 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 98672 is 6 miles from Snowden, WA, which stands at 2,415 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98672 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.

Other zone 7b places in Washington