When to plant in Coldstream, BC
Planting dates worked out from Coldstream's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 119 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 22about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 301 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 51 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 14about half of years have had frost
- LateOct 269 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 174 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Vernon Auto · 1.0 km away · station 482 m, town 467 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 2 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 22 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 18 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jun 9 |
| Beet | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | May 30 |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 19 |
| Kale | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 17 |
| Winter squash | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jun 28 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 25 – Oct 23 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 5 |
| Basil | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 29 |
Coldstream's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Apr 30 |
| 2006 | May 13 |
| 2007 | Apr 18 |
| 2008 | Apr 26 |
| 2009 | Apr 28 |
| 2010 | Apr 25 |
| 2011 | Apr 23 |
| 2012 | Apr 8 |
| 2013 | May 1 |
| 2014 | Apr 14 |
| 2015 | Apr 15 |
| 2016 | Mar 29 |
| 2017 | Apr 16 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 30 |
| 2020 | Apr 16 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 28 |
| 2023 | Apr 20 |
| 2024 | Apr 30 |
| 2025 | Apr 22 |
| 2026 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 179 |
| 2006 | 146 |
| 2007 | 189 |
| 2008 | 165 |
| 2009 | 159 |
| 2010 | 173 |
| 2011 | 174 |
| 2012 | 177 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 195 |
| 2015 | 191 |
| 2016 | 195 |
| 2017 | 170 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 161 |
| 2020 | 188 |
| 2021 | 170 |
| 2022 | 176 |
| 2023 | 187 |
| 2024 | 177 |
| 2025 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 16.1 °C |
| 2006 | 16.6 °C |
| 2007 | 15.8 °C |
| 2008 | 15.4 °C |
| 2009 | 16.6 °C |
| 2010 | 15.7 °C |
| 2011 | 15.4 °C |
| 2012 | 16.1 °C |
| 2013 | 16.5 °C |
| 2014 | 16.7 °C |
| 2015 | 17.0 °C |
| 2016 | 16.7 °C |
| 2017 | 16.8 °C |
| 2018 | 16.3 °C |
| 2019 | 16.4 °C |
| 2020 | 15.9 °C |
| 2021 | 17.6 °C |
| 2022 | 16.3 °C |
| 2023 | 17.8 °C |
| 2024 | 17.1 °C |
| 2025 | 17.9 °C |
| 2026 | 17.5 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Vernon Auto (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.