South Bend, WA 98637 Frost Dates
When can you plant in South Bend, WA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/26, roughly 241 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 177 frost-free days later.
South Bend sits in USDA Zone 9a (20 to 25°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in South Bend before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/26 isn't a guarantee
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How South Bend compares
South Bend's growing season runs about 177 days, ranking 26,151 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WA, it ranks 467 of 700.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in South Bend can differ from the 98637 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and South Bend's frost date answer different questions.