University Place, WA 98467 Frost Dates
When can you plant in University Place, WA?
Around 03/11 is the usual last spring frost, about 195 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/21, about 254 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts University Place 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 12 weeks of growing season left in University Place before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/11 isn't a guarantee
03/11 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. 04/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How University Place compares
University Place's growing season runs about 254 days, ranking 7,000 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WA, it ranks 57 of 700.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and University Place's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around University Place's dates instead of trusting one.