Joseph, OR 97842 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Joseph, OR?
Around 05/06 is the usual last spring frost, about 251 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 155 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Joseph in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°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 6 weeks of growing season left in Joseph before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/06 isn't a guarantee
05/06 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/23 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/26 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Joseph compares
At roughly 155 frost-free days, Joseph places 34,034 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within OR, it ranks 342 of 463.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Joseph can differ from the 97842 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Joseph's frost date answer different questions.