When to plant in Vanderhoof, BC
Planting dates worked out from Vanderhoof's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 2
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 17
1 year in 10 by Sep 9
Frost-free days
119
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Vanderhoof · 1.9 km away · station 638 m, town 635 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 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | Jun 2 – Jun 16 | Jul 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | Jun 2 – Jun 16 | Aug 1 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 22 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 5 |
| Peas | — | Apr 19 – May 17 | Jun 13 |
| Bush beans | — | May 26 – Jun 16 | Jul 15 |
| Carrot | — | May 3 – Jun 14 | Jul 2 |
| Beet | — | Apr 29 – Jun 10 | Jun 18 |
| Potato | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jul 12 |
| Kale | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 8 |
| Broccoli | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Cucumber | May 5 – May 12 | Jun 2 – Jun 16 | Jul 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 5 – May 12 | Jun 2 – Jun 16 | Jul 17 |
| Winter squash | May 5 – May 12 | Jun 2 – Jun 16 | Aug 21 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 26 – Jun 16 | Jul 25 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 25 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 3 – Oct 1 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 19 – May 17 | May 27 |
| Basil | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 2 – Jun 16 | Jul 29 |
Vanderhoof'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 |
|---|---|
| 1981 | May 12 |
| 1982 | May 28 |
| 1983 | May 13 |
| 1984 | May 29 |
| 1985 | Jun 10 |
| 1986 | May 23 |
| 1987 | Jun 14 |
| 1988 | May 24 |
| 1989 | Jun 19 |
| 1990 | May 15 |
| 1991 | May 24 |
| 1992 | May 23 |
| 1993 | May 7 |
| 1994 | May 27 |
| 1995 | May 22 |
| 1996 | May 28 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | May 10 |
| 1999 | Jun 6 |
| 2000 | May 30 |
| 2001 | May 29 |
| 2002 | May 18 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 23 |
| 2005 | May 8 |
| 2006 | May 15 |
| 2008 | Jun 19 |
| 2009 | May 30 |
| 2010 | May 23 |
| 2011 | May 19 |
| 2012 | Jul 3 |
| 2013 | May 3 |
| 2016 | May 21 |
| 2017 | May 13 |
| 2018 | May 31 |
| 2019 | May 13 |
| 2020 | May 27 |
| 2021 | May 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 130 |
| 1982 | 108 |
| 1983 | 117 |
| 1984 | 95 |
| 1985 | 88 |
| 1986 | 110 |
| 1987 | 90 |
| 1988 | 108 |
| 1989 | 89 |
| 1990 | 124 |
| 1991 | 106 |
| 1992 | 90 |
| 1993 | 127 |
| 1994 | 115 |
| 1995 | 117 |
| 1996 | 111 |
| 1997 | 117 |
| 1998 | 121 |
| 1999 | 96 |
| 2001 | 98 |
| 2002 | 124 |
| 2003 | 126 |
| 2004 | 119 |
| 2005 | 131 |
| 2006 | 123 |
| 2008 | 85 |
| 2009 | 119 |
| 2010 | 116 |
| 2011 | 129 |
| 2012 | 69 |
| 2016 | 122 |
| 2017 | 123 |
| 2018 | 104 |
| 2019 | 137 |
| 2020 | 132 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 12.2 °C |
| 1982 | 12.0 °C |
| 1983 | 11.9 °C |
| 1984 | 10.8 °C |
| 1985 | 11.6 °C |
| 1986 | 11.3 °C |
| 1987 | 12.6 °C |
| 1988 | 11.8 °C |
| 1989 | 12.9 °C |
| 1990 | 12.9 °C |
| 1991 | 12.5 °C |
| 1992 | 12.4 °C |
| 1993 | 12.7 °C |
| 1994 | 13.1 °C |
| 1995 | 12.7 °C |
| 1996 | 11.1 °C |
| 1997 | 12.8 °C |
| 1999 | 11.7 °C |
| 2001 | 11.7 °C |
| 2002 | 11.5 °C |
| 2003 | 12.2 °C |
| 2004 | 13.3 °C |
| 2005 | 12.8 °C |
| 2006 | 13.1 °C |
| 2007 | 12.1 °C |
| 2008 | 11.9 °C |
| 2009 | 12.7 °C |
| 2010 | 12.5 °C |
| 2011 | 11.6 °C |
| 2012 | 12.8 °C |
| 2013 | 13.6 °C |
| 2016 | 13.4 °C |
| 2017 | 12.8 °C |
| 2018 | 12.6 °C |
| 2019 | 13.1 °C |
| 2020 | 12.1 °C |
| 2021 | 13.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1981, Vanderhoof's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Vanderhoof (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.