FrostDateCheck

Lakewood, WA 98445 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Lakewood, WA?

Zone 8b

Around 03/08 is the usual last spring frost, about 192 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/14, about 250 frost-free days later.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lakewood in Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 11 weeks of growing season left in Lakewood 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

03/08 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/31 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Lakewood compares

Lakewood's growing season runs about 250 days, ranking 7,445 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WA, it ranks 89 of 700.

Learn more

the frost range covers how to read the range around Lakewood's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Lakewood can differ from the 98445 normal.