Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Auburn, WA
Auburn, WA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 20 and its first of fall around November 10 — a 233-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 | Feb 27 | Nov 26 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 20 | Nov 10 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 8 | Oct 26 |
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: 233 days median, at least 207 in 9 years of 10, at least 262 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 Feb 25 and first of Nov 24.
Auburn planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 20) and median first frost (Nov 10) 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) | Dec 26 | Feb 20 | Jun 10 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 20 | Apr 19 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 6 | Mar 6 | Apr 20 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 20 | Apr 3 | Jun 2 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 23 | Mar 27 | Jun 10 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 9 | Apr 3 | Jul 7 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 23 | Mar 27 | Jun 10 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 23 | Mar 27 | Jun 15 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 23 | Mar 27 | Jun 15 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 6 | Mar 6 | May 15 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 6 | Mar 27 | Jun 5 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 6 | Mar 27 | Jun 10 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 6 | Mar 27 | Jun 15 | 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 Auburn grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Auburn container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Auburn frost questions
When is the last frost in Auburn, WA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at KENT, WA is March 20: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 8; nine years in ten, it comes after February 27. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Auburn, WA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 10. One year in ten it arrives before October 26; nine years in ten, before November 26.
How long is the growing season in Auburn, WA?
233 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 207 days; one year in ten, at least 262 days.
What growing zone is Auburn, WA?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 98002. 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 Auburn, WA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 6 and transplant around Mar 27, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 8. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 10.
When should I plant peppers in Auburn, WA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 23; transplant no earlier than Mar 27, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 10.
Nearby in Washington
- Kentlast frost Mar 20
- Federal Waylast frost Mar 8
- Puyalluplast frost Apr 11
- Rentonlast frost Mar 13
- Tacomalast frost Mar 8
- Burienlast frost Mar 2
All Washington frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →