Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Vancouver, WA
Vancouver, WA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 29 and its first of fall around November 9 — a 223-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 | Mar 6 | Nov 30 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 29 | Nov 9 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 18 | Oct 22 |
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: 223 days median, at least 196 in 9 years of 10, at least 252 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 Mar 3 and first of Nov 26.
Vancouver planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 29) and median first frost (Nov 9) 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) | Jan 4 | Mar 1 | Jun 19 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 29 | Apr 28 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 15 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 1 | Apr 12 | Jun 11 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 19 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 18 | Apr 12 | Jul 16 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 19 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 24 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 1 | Apr 5 | Jun 24 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 15 | Mar 15 | May 24 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 19 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 24 | 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 Vancouver grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Vancouver container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Vancouver frost questions
When is the last frost in Vancouver, WA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at VANCOUVER PEARSON AP, WA is March 29: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 18; nine years in ten, it comes after March 6. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Vancouver, WA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 9. One year in ten it arrives before October 22; nine years in ten, before November 30.
How long is the growing season in Vancouver, WA?
223 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 196 days; one year in ten, at least 252 days.
What growing zone is Vancouver, WA?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 98661. 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 Vancouver, WA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 15 and transplant around Apr 5, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 18. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 19.
When should I plant peppers in Vancouver, WA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 1; transplant no earlier than Apr 5, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 19.
Nearby in Washington
- Laceylast frost Apr 29
- Olympialast frost Apr 29
- Lakewoodlast frost Mar 8
- Puyalluplast frost Apr 11
- Tacomalast frost Mar 8
- Federal Waylast frost Mar 8
All Washington frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →