When to plant in Colfax, WA
Planting dates worked out from Colfax's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 24
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 9
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 27
1 year in 10 by Sep 14
Frost-free days
138
median, 1991–2020
Station used: St John · 29.1 km away · station 595 m, town 601 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 29 – Apr 12 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 18 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 23 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 21 |
| Peas | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 22 |
| Bush beans | — | May 17 – Jun 7 | Jul 6 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 18 – May 30 | Jun 17 |
| Beet | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Potato | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 27 |
| Kale | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 24 |
| Broccoli | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 10 |
| Cucumber | Apr 26 – May 3 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 13 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 26 – May 3 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 8 |
| Winter squash | Apr 26 – May 3 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Aug 12 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 17 – Jun 7 | Jul 16 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jul 10 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 13 – Oct 11 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 5 |
| Basil | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 20 |
Colfax'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 |
|---|---|
| 1964 | Jun 28 |
| 1965 | May 18 |
| 1966 | May 23 |
| 1967 | May 31 |
| 1968 | Jun 28 |
| 1969 | May 4 |
| 1970 | May 18 |
| 1971 | Jul 7 |
| 1972 | May 25 |
| 1973 | May 22 |
| 1974 | May 17 |
| 1975 | May 21 |
| 1976 | Jun 5 |
| 1977 | May 30 |
| 1978 | May 30 |
| 1979 | Jul 13 |
| 1980 | Jun 4 |
| 1981 | Jul 12 |
| 1982 | Jun 10 |
| 1983 | Jun 21 |
| 1984 | Jul 7 |
| 1985 | Jun 25 |
| 1986 | May 17 |
| 1987 | May 20 |
| 1988 | May 4 |
| 1989 | May 20 |
| 1990 | May 8 |
| 1991 | Jun 4 |
| 1992 | May 22 |
| 1993 | Apr 6 |
| 1994 | May 1 |
| 1995 | Apr 30 |
| 1996 | May 10 |
| 1997 | May 22 |
| 1998 | Apr 26 |
| 1999 | May 16 |
| 2000 | May 7 |
| 2001 | May 20 |
| 2002 | Jun 7 |
| 2004 | Apr 29 |
| 2005 | Apr 30 |
| 2006 | May 13 |
| 2007 | Apr 30 |
| 2008 | May 9 |
| 2009 | May 21 |
| 2010 | May 24 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | May 12 |
| 2013 | May 24 |
| 2014 | May 12 |
| 2017 | Apr 15 |
| 2018 | Apr 22 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 7 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1964 | 72 |
| 1965 | 103 |
| 1966 | 99 |
| 1967 | 114 |
| 1968 | 95 |
| 1969 | 124 |
| 1971 | 68 |
| 1972 | 122 |
| 1973 | 131 |
| 1974 | 116 |
| 1975 | 127 |
| 1976 | 93 |
| 1977 | 114 |
| 1978 | 108 |
| 1980 | 81 |
| 1982 | 94 |
| 1983 | 89 |
| 1984 | 68 |
| 1985 | 57 |
| 1986 | 137 |
| 1987 | 119 |
| 1988 | 136 |
| 1989 | 112 |
| 1990 | 134 |
| 1991 | 101 |
| 1992 | 92 |
| 1993 | 167 |
| 1994 | 159 |
| 1995 | 144 |
| 1996 | 135 |
| 1997 | 136 |
| 1998 | 171 |
| 1999 | 133 |
| 2000 | 138 |
| 2001 | 138 |
| 2002 | 105 |
| 2004 | 177 |
| 2005 | 143 |
| 2006 | 124 |
| 2007 | 142 |
| 2008 | 136 |
| 2009 | 122 |
| 2010 | 110 |
| 2011 | 173 |
| 2012 | 121 |
| 2013 | 131 |
| 2014 | 143 |
| 2017 | 180 |
| 2018 | 174 |
| 2019 | 151 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1964 | 14.1 °C |
| 1965 | 14.9 °C |
| 1966 | 15.2 °C |
| 1967 | 15.7 °C |
| 1968 | 14.6 °C |
| 1969 | 15.7 °C |
| 1970 | 15.5 °C |
| 1971 | 15.1 °C |
| 1972 | 15.0 °C |
| 1973 | 15.8 °C |
| 1974 | 15.1 °C |
| 1975 | 14.5 °C |
| 1976 | 14.8 °C |
| 1977 | 15.5 °C |
| 1978 | 14.4 °C |
| 1979 | 15.0 °C |
| 1980 | 14.3 °C |
| 1981 | 13.5 °C |
| 1982 | 13.9 °C |
| 1985 | 14.3 °C |
| 1986 | 15.7 °C |
| 1987 | 16.8 °C |
| 1988 | 15.5 °C |
| 1989 | 15.8 °C |
| 1990 | 16.5 °C |
| 1991 | 15.2 °C |
| 1992 | 16.3 °C |
| 1993 | 15.3 °C |
| 1994 | 16.8 °C |
| 1995 | 15.5 °C |
| 1996 | 15.2 °C |
| 1997 | 16.1 °C |
| 1998 | 17.0 °C |
| 1999 | 14.9 °C |
| 2000 | 15.5 °C |
| 2001 | 15.9 °C |
| 2002 | 15.3 °C |
| 2011 | 14.9 °C |
| 2012 | 16.0 °C |
| 2013 | 16.2 °C |
| 2014 | 17.1 °C |
| 2015 | 16.8 °C |
| 2017 | 17.3 °C |
| 2018 | 16.8 °C |
| 2019 | 16.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1964, Colfax's last spring frost has come about 7 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 11 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from St John (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.