When to plant in Williams Lake, BC
Planting dates worked out from Williams Lake's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Station used: Williams Lake A · 7.7 km away · station 940 m, town 674 m. How we match towns to stations
The station sits 266 m higher than the town, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 22 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 5 |
| Peas | — | Apr 25 – May 23 | Jun 19 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 21 |
| Carrot | — | May 7 – Jun 18 | Jul 6 |
| Beet | — | May 7 – Jun 18 | Jun 26 |
| Potato | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 16 |
| Kale | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 14 |
| Broccoli | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Cucumber | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 28 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 23 |
| Winter squash | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 31 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 25 |
| Garlic | — | Aug 31 – Sep 28 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 25 – May 23 | Jun 2 |
| Basil | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 4 |
Williams Lake's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1961 | May 24 |
| 1962 | Jun 10 |
| 1963 | Jun 27 |
| 1964 | May 25 |
| 1965 | Jun 22 |
| 1966 | May 27 |
| 1967 | Jun 11 |
| 1968 | Jun 28 |
| 1969 | May 17 |
| 1970 | Jun 11 |
| 1971 | Jul 2 |
| 1972 | May 25 |
| 1973 | Jun 11 |
| 1974 | Jun 7 |
| 1975 | May 26 |
| 1976 | May 29 |
| 1977 | May 28 |
| 1978 | May 29 |
| 1979 | Jun 15 |
| 1980 | May 23 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | May 23 |
| 1983 | May 12 |
| 1984 | May 27 |
| 1985 | Jun 16 |
| 1986 | May 23 |
| 1987 | May 24 |
| 1988 | May 18 |
| 1989 | May 21 |
| 1990 | May 14 |
| 1991 | May 23 |
| 1992 | Jun 3 |
| 1994 | May 14 |
| 1995 | May 22 |
| 1996 | Jun 16 |
| 1997 | May 22 |
| 1998 | May 17 |
| 1999 | Jun 8 |
| 2000 | May 30 |
| 2001 | Jun 11 |
| 2002 | Jun 7 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | May 24 |
| 2005 | May 1 |
| 2006 | May 14 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2008 | May 9 |
| 2009 | May 21 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | May 13 |
| 2012 | Jun 3 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1961 | 105 |
| 1962 | 84 |
| 1963 | 81 |
| 1964 | 103 |
| 1965 | 66 |
| 1966 | 102 |
| 1967 | 92 |
| 1968 | 82 |
| 1969 | 120 |
| 1970 | 84 |
| 1971 | 74 |
| 1972 | 115 |
| 1973 | 68 |
| 1974 | 95 |
| 1975 | 105 |
| 1976 | 101 |
| 1977 | 95 |
| 1978 | 109 |
| 1980 | 93 |
| 1981 | 131 |
| 1982 | 113 |
| 1983 | 119 |
| 1984 | 92 |
| 1985 | 81 |
| 1986 | 110 |
| 1987 | 114 |
| 1988 | 114 |
| 1989 | 119 |
| 1990 | 135 |
| 1991 | 108 |
| 1992 | 80 |
| 1994 | 141 |
| 1995 | 117 |
| 1996 | 93 |
| 1997 | 119 |
| 1998 | 125 |
| 1999 | 85 |
| 2000 | 102 |
| 2001 | 85 |
| 2002 | 104 |
| 2003 | 117 |
| 2004 | 118 |
| 2005 | 126 |
| 2006 | 123 |
| 2007 | 109 |
| 2008 | 114 |
| 2009 | 128 |
| 2010 | 129 |
| 2011 | 135 |
| 2012 | 100 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.4 °C |
| 1962 | 10.8 °C |
| 1963 | 11.9 °C |
| 1964 | 9.9 °C |
| 1965 | 11.2 °C |
| 1966 | 10.9 °C |
| 1967 | 12.5 °C |
| 1968 | 10.4 °C |
| 1969 | 11.9 °C |
| 1970 | 11.3 °C |
| 1971 | 11.4 °C |
| 1972 | 10.6 °C |
| 1973 | 10.7 °C |
| 1974 | 11.1 °C |
| 1975 | 10.7 °C |
| 1976 | 10.6 °C |
| 1977 | 11.0 °C |
| 1978 | 11.4 °C |
| 1979 | 11.9 °C |
| 1980 | 11.2 °C |
| 1981 | 11.6 °C |
| 1982 | 11.1 °C |
| 1983 | 11.4 °C |
| 1984 | 10.4 °C |
| 1985 | 11.0 °C |
| 1986 | 11.0 °C |
| 1987 | 12.5 °C |
| 1988 | 11.8 °C |
| 1989 | 12.0 °C |
| 1990 | 12.3 °C |
| 1991 | 11.7 °C |
| 1992 | 12.1 °C |
| 1994 | 12.4 °C |
| 1995 | 11.7 °C |
| 1996 | 10.7 °C |
| 1997 | 11.8 °C |
| 1998 | 13.4 °C |
| 1999 | 10.9 °C |
| 2000 | 10.7 °C |
| 2001 | 11.2 °C |
| 2002 | 10.9 °C |
| 2003 | 12.0 °C |
| 2004 | 12.2 °C |
| 2005 | 11.5 °C |
| 2006 | 12.4 °C |
| 2007 | 11.2 °C |
| 2008 | 11.0 °C |
| 2009 | 12.4 °C |
| 2010 | 11.4 °C |
| 2011 | 10.7 °C |
| 2012 | 12.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1961, Williams Lake's last spring frost has come about 4 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 6 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Williams Lake A (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.