Washougal, WA 97290 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Washougal, WA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/16, about 200 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/20, about 250 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Washougal in Zone 9a (20 to 25°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 12 weeks of growing season left in Washougal before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
03/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Washougal compares
Washougal's growing season runs about 250 days, ranking 7,493 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WA, it ranks 113 of 700.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Washougal can differ from the 97290 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Washougal's frost date answer different questions.