Frost dates for Everett, Washington
In Everett, half of springs have had their last frost by March 24 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 11), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 2, leaving about 223 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Everett, Washington
Last spring frost
March 24
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 11: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 2
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 16.
Growing season
223 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 197.
Hardiness zone
8b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 15°F to 20°F. It was 8b on the 2012 map too. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 6 in 8b and 1 in 9a.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Everett (less than a mile away, at 60 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of March 24 and a typical first frost of November 2. NOAA's Everett Snohomish Airport (6 miles away, at 610 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of March 9 and a typical first frost of November 17. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from March 9 to 24 and the typical first frost from November 2 to 17, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Everett
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 4 | March 24 | April 11 |
| First frost in fall | October 16 | November 2 | November 23 |
The frost-free season between them runs 223 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 249 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 197 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 1 and first on November 21. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 20 and first on October 18. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Everett comes between March 4 and April 11, a window of 38 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among Washington's 154 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 88 percent have their typical last frost later than Everett does.
Planting calendar for Everett
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 6 to February 3 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 20 to February 17 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 3 to 24 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 10 to 24 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 17 to March 3 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 24 to March 10 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 24 to March 10 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 10 to 24 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 10 to 24 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 24 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 7 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 7 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 7 to 21 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 26 |
| June 27 to July 11 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 15 |
| August | ||
| August 6 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 10 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 11 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 15 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 16 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 20 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 30 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 9 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 19 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 16 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 28 to December 5 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 18 days later. That plans around April 11, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Everett (station USC00452675), less than a mile from the center of Everett. It sits at about the same elevation, 60 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Marysville and Snohomish.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 11 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 98201, 98203, 98207, 98208, 98236, 98252, 98258, 98260, 98270, 98271, 98290. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Seattle, Washington: last frost around March 8, first frost around November 23 (25 miles away)
- Kent, Washington: last frost around March 2, first frost around November 23 (40 miles away)
- Tacoma, Washington: last frost around March 11, first frost around November 21 (50 miles away)
See frost dates across Washington, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.