Frost dates · USDA zone 6b
Frost dates for Bend, OR
Bend, OR sees its last 32 °F night of spring around June 6 and its first of fall around September 20 — a 105-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | May 17 | Oct 5 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jun 6 | Sep 20 |
| 1 year in 10 | Jun 22 | Sep 3 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 105 days median, at least 81 in 9 years of 10, at least 129 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of May 11 and first of Oct 4.
Bend planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jun 6) and median first frost (Sep 20) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Mar 14 | May 9 | Aug 27 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jun 6 | Jul 6 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | May 23 | May 23 | Jul 7 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | May 9 | Jun 20 | Aug 19 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Apr 11 | Jun 13 | Aug 27 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Mar 28 | Jun 20 | Sep 23 tight | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Apr 11 | Jun 13 | Aug 27 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Apr 11 | Jun 13 | Sep 1 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Apr 11 | Jun 13 | Sep 1 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | May 23 | May 23 | Aug 1 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Apr 25 | Jun 13 | Aug 22 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Apr 25 | Jun 13 | Aug 27 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Apr 25 | Jun 13 | Sep 1 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Bend grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Bend container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Bend frost questions
When is the last frost in Bend, OR?
The median last 32 °F freeze at BEND, OR is June 6: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after June 22; nine years in ten, it comes after May 17. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Bend, OR?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is September 20. One year in ten it arrives before September 3; nine years in ten, before October 5.
How long is the growing season in Bend, OR?
105 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 81 days; one year in ten, at least 129 days.
What growing zone is Bend, OR?
USDA hardiness zone 6b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 97702. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Bend, OR?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Apr 25 and transplant around Jun 13, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Jun 22. First ripe fruit lands around Aug 27.
When should I plant peppers in Bend, OR?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Apr 11; transplant no earlier than Jun 13, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Aug 27.
Nearby in Oregon
- Springfieldlast frost Apr 11
- Eugenelast frost Apr 11
- Albanylast frost Apr 17
- Salemlast frost Apr 3
- Corvallislast frost Apr 17
- Greshamlast frost Mar 16
All Oregon frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →