U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00458773 · Washington

Frost Dates for Vancouver, WA

NOAA weather station Vancouver 4 NNE (USC00458773), Washington · elevation 210 ft (64 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 10only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season177 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Vancouver, WASpring: a frost after April 7 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 18 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 177 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 26First frost ~Oct 18Frost season at Vancouver, WASpring: a frost after April 7 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 18 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 177 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 26First frost ~Oct 18
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 10October 1
50% (typical)April 26October 18
90% (likely)April 7November 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
177 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 30
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 4

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 26 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 18. Frost-free season 176 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Vancouver: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 10, 20% May 5, 30% May 1, 40% April 29, 50% April 26, 60% April 23, 70% April 18, 80% April 13, 90% April 7. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 13, 2022 May 13, 2023 April 20, 2025 April 13, 2026 March 27.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 10Apr 26Apr 72021: April 132022: May 132023: April 202025: April 132026: March 27Fall at Vancouver: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 5, 30% October 10, 40% October 14, 50% October 18, 60% October 22, 70% October 27, 80% November 1, 90% November 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 11, 2022 November 9, 2023 October 28, 2024 October 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 18Nov 82021: October 112022: November 92023: October 282024: October 25
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 13October 11
2022May 13November 9
2023April 20October 28
2024incomplete recordOctober 25
2025April 13incomplete record
2026March 27season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 1 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Vancouver, because there is only a 10 % chance a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 10, when the chance of a light frost later than that date is also 10 %. The 50 % date is April 26, meaning a light frost has an equal chance of occurring later than this date in spring, and the 50 % date is October 18, meaning a light frost has an equal chance of occurring earlier than this date in fall. The median hard-frost dates are March 30 and November 4; these are points where a hard frost is just as likely as not.

Hard frost at 28 °F can cause more severe damage than a light frost at 32 °F, so the hard-frost dates are a key reference for gardeners planning around the most damaging freezes.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 10" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 1" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Vancouver, WANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Portland, OR — 6 mi; 2 — Battle Ground, WA — 9 mi; 3 — Forest Grove, OR — 24 mi; 4 — near Sandy, OR — 29 mi; 5 — near Vernonia, OR — 29 mi.ORWA25 mi · 40 km1. Portland, OR — 6 mi12. Battle Ground, WA — 9 mi23. Forest Grove, OR — 24 mi34. near Sandy, OR — 29 mi45. near Vernonia, OR — 29 mi5
  1. Portland, OR 6 mi (10 km)
  2. Battle Ground, WA 9 mi (14 km)
  3. Forest Grove, OR 24 mi (39 km)
  4. near Sandy, OR 29 mi (46 km)
  5. near Vernonia, OR 29 mi (47 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 45.6778, -122.6511.