Bend, OR 97701 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bend, OR?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 06/06, roughly 282 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/20, about 105 frost-free days later.
Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Bend, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 3 weeks of growing season left in Bend 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
06/06 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Bend compares
Bend's growing season runs about 105 days, ranking 39,592 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within OR, it ranks 403 of 463.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Bend can differ from the 97701 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Bend's frost date answer different questions.