Joseph, OR 97846 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Joseph, OR?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/24, about 269 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/01, about 126 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Joseph, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 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 05/24 isn't a guarantee
05/24 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/06 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 07/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Joseph compares
About 126 days separate Joseph's last and first frost, putting it 38,692 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within OR, it ranks 389 of 463.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Joseph can differ from the 97846 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Joseph's frost date answer different questions.