When to plant in Airway Heights, WA
Planting dates worked out from Airway Heights's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 28
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 14
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 20
1 year in 10 by Sep 7
Frost-free days
133
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Spokane Wfo · 4.8 km away · station 729 m, town 731 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 2 – Apr 16 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 27 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 12 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 26 |
| Peas | — | Apr 5 – May 3 | May 30 |
| Bush beans | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 10 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 22 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 2 |
| Kale | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 29 |
| Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 15 |
| Cucumber | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 17 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 12 |
| Winter squash | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Aug 16 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jul 15 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 6 – Oct 4 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 5 – May 3 | May 13 |
| Basil | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 24 |
Airway Heights'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 |
|---|---|
| 1997 | May 7 |
| 1998 | May 16 |
| 1999 | May 26 |
| 2000 | May 6 |
| 2001 | May 29 |
| 2002 | Jun 7 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | Apr 25 |
| 2005 | Apr 28 |
| 2006 | May 13 |
| 2007 | May 6 |
| 2008 | May 9 |
| 2009 | May 21 |
| 2010 | May 25 |
| 2011 | May 17 |
| 2012 | May 12 |
| 2013 | May 24 |
| 2014 | May 13 |
| 2015 | May 6 |
| 2016 | Apr 25 |
| 2017 | May 15 |
| 2018 | Jun 12 |
| 2019 | May 3 |
| 2020 | May 8 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | May 22 |
| 2023 | Apr 22 |
| 2024 | May 31 |
| 2025 | May 9 |
| 2026 | May 17 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 150 |
| 1998 | 139 |
| 1999 | 103 |
| 2000 | 138 |
| 2001 | 128 |
| 2002 | 106 |
| 2003 | 143 |
| 2004 | 148 |
| 2005 | 148 |
| 2006 | 125 |
| 2007 | 136 |
| 2008 | 136 |
| 2009 | 109 |
| 2010 | 95 |
| 2011 | 134 |
| 2012 | 121 |
| 2013 | 132 |
| 2014 | 121 |
| 2015 | 120 |
| 2016 | 136 |
| 2017 | 140 |
| 2018 | 96 |
| 2019 | 146 |
| 2020 | 122 |
| 2021 | 161 |
| 2022 | 152 |
| 2023 | 173 |
| 2024 | 112 |
| 2025 | 149 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 14.6 °C |
| 1998 | 15.8 °C |
| 1999 | 14.1 °C |
| 2000 | 14.7 °C |
| 2001 | 15.2 °C |
| 2002 | 14.9 °C |
| 2003 | 15.7 °C |
| 2004 | 15.4 °C |
| 2005 | 14.7 °C |
| 2006 | 15.3 °C |
| 2007 | 14.9 °C |
| 2008 | 13.9 °C |
| 2009 | 15.2 °C |
| 2010 | 13.6 °C |
| 2011 | 13.3 °C |
| 2012 | 14.7 °C |
| 2013 | 15.2 °C |
| 2014 | 15.5 °C |
| 2015 | 16.2 °C |
| 2016 | 15.4 °C |
| 2017 | 15.3 °C |
| 2018 | 15.2 °C |
| 2019 | 15.1 °C |
| 2020 | 15.0 °C |
| 2021 | 16.7 °C |
| 2022 | 14.8 °C |
| 2023 | 15.8 °C |
| 2024 | 15.5 °C |
| 2025 | 16.5 °C |
| 2026 | 15.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1997, Airway Heights's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Spokane Wfo (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.