When to plant in Mill Creek East, WA
Planting dates worked out from Mill Creek East's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 1
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Mar 13
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 29
Frost-free days
246
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Everett Snohomish Co Ap · 12.0 km away · station 167 m, town 116 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 15 – Mar 29 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 4 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 9 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 22 – Jan 29 | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 7 |
| Peas | — | Feb 26 – Mar 26 | Apr 22 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jun 19 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 26 – May 7 | May 25 |
| Beet | — | Mar 26 – May 7 | May 15 |
| Potato | — | Mar 26 – Apr 16 | Jun 4 |
| Kale | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 17 |
| Broccoli | Jan 15 – Jan 29 | Feb 26 – Mar 19 | Apr 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 29 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 24 |
| Winter squash | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 29 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jun 29 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Feb 26 – Mar 19 | May 27 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 10 – Nov 7 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 26 – Mar 26 | Apr 5 |
| Basil | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 6 |
Mill Creek East'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 |
|---|---|
| 1948 | Apr 26 |
| 1949 | Mar 27 |
| 1950 | Apr 4 |
| 1951 | Mar 18 |
| 1952 | Apr 8 |
| 1999 | Mar 7 |
| 2000 | Mar 20 |
| 2001 | Mar 4 |
| 2002 | Mar 20 |
| 2003 | Mar 8 |
| 2004 | Feb 21 |
| 2005 | Feb 26 |
| 2006 | Mar 19 |
| 2007 | Apr 2 |
| 2008 | Apr 18 |
| 2009 | Mar 21 |
| 2010 | Apr 10 |
| 2011 | Feb 27 |
| 2012 | Mar 8 |
| 2013 | Mar 23 |
| 2014 | Mar 1 |
| 2015 | Mar 4 |
| 2016 | Feb 23 |
| 2017 | Feb 28 |
| 2018 | Mar 10 |
| 2019 | Mar 10 |
| 2020 | Mar 18 |
| 2021 | Mar 16 |
| 2022 | Mar 10 |
| 2023 | Mar 16 |
| 2024 | Mar 6 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 195 |
| 1949 | 204 |
| 1950 | 218 |
| 1951 | 226 |
| 1999 | 290 |
| 2000 | 234 |
| 2001 | 273 |
| 2002 | 223 |
| 2003 | 237 |
| 2004 | 256 |
| 2005 | 273 |
| 2006 | 223 |
| 2007 | 232 |
| 2008 | 238 |
| 2009 | 255 |
| 2010 | 224 |
| 2011 | 251 |
| 2012 | 246 |
| 2013 | 241 |
| 2014 | 255 |
| 2015 | 260 |
| 2016 | 284 |
| 2017 | 247 |
| 2018 | 295 |
| 2019 | 232 |
| 2020 | 220 |
| 2021 | 245 |
| 2022 | 243 |
| 2023 | 225 |
| 2024 | 272 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 13.1 °C |
| 1949 | 13.6 °C |
| 1950 | 13.2 °C |
| 1951 | 14.3 °C |
| 1999 | 13.2 °C |
| 2000 | 14.1 °C |
| 2001 | 13.7 °C |
| 2002 | 14.0 °C |
| 2003 | 14.9 °C |
| 2004 | 15.5 °C |
| 2005 | 14.9 °C |
| 2006 | 14.6 °C |
| 2007 | 14.2 °C |
| 2008 | 13.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.2 °C |
| 2010 | 14.1 °C |
| 2011 | 13.8 °C |
| 2012 | 14.5 °C |
| 2013 | 15.3 °C |
| 2014 | 15.8 °C |
| 2015 | 15.9 °C |
| 2016 | 15.7 °C |
| 2017 | 15.4 °C |
| 2018 | 15.5 °C |
| 2019 | 15.5 °C |
| 2020 | 15.2 °C |
| 2021 | 15.4 °C |
| 2022 | 15.3 °C |
| 2023 | 15.8 °C |
| 2024 | 15.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1948, Mill Creek East's last spring frost has come about 4 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Everett Snohomish Co Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.