USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 98844 — Oroville, Washington
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tonasket 4 NNE, WA (960 ft), 11 miles south.
Updated
In Oroville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 168 days (NOAA, Tonasket 4 NNE, WA).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 168 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 8
- Last snow
- March 14
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 52.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Oroville
Half of springs at Tonasket 4 NNE, WA see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 81% of the 113 Washington stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 10 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 21 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 168 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 113 Washington stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 134 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 15 days longer, to about May 11, and return around September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and February 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 23 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 15 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 19 | Dec 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tonasket 4 NNE, 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 98844 →Compare Oroville with another place →
Weather by month in Oroville
July is the warmest month at Tonasket 4 NNE, WA, averaging 88°F by day and 55°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,520 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 113 Washington stations. 32% of them (806) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 671.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 23 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Feb | 42 | 26 | 100% | 21 | 0 |
| Mar | 54 | 31 | 100% | 19 | 9 |
| Apr | 64 | 37 | 93% | 8 | 78 |
| May | 74 | 44 | 35% | 1 | 282 |
| Jun | 79 | 50 | 0% | 0 | 437 |
| Jul | 88 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Aug | 87 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Sep | 77 | 46 | 16% | <1 | 338 |
| Oct | 61 | 37 | 95% | 11 | 70 |
| Nov | 44 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 2 |
| Dec | 34 | 24 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tonasket 4 NNE, WA (960 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, Omak Airport, WA, 33 miles south of Oroville and 336 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days later (April 30), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 7), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Oroville, Washington
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Oroville usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around March 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Republic, WA, 35.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 98844
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 98844 is 11 miles from Tonasket 4 NNE, WA, which stands at 960 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 98855 (Tonasket). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 98844 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.