USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 97041 — Parkdale, Oregon
Averages from Parkdale 1 Nne, Or US, the nearest reporting station, 2.2 miles away.
Plant tender crops after May 13, and expect the first autumn freeze around October 3. That leaves about 142 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- May 13
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 142 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
5 to 10°F annual low
Planting calendar for 97041
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 4 – March 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 15 – April 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after May 13 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Parkdale, Oregon are past their last freeze. Harvest before October 3, which leaves roughly 142 frost-free days.
ZIP 97041 sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 5 to 10°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.