When to plant in Moses Lake, WA
Planting dates worked out from Moses Lake's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 13
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 28
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 11
1 year in 10 by Oct 1
Frost-free days
162
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Moses Lake Grant Co Ap · 7.5 km away · station 356 m, town 326 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 18 – Apr 1 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 7 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 10 |
| Peas | — | Mar 17 – Apr 14 | May 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 7 – May 19 | Jun 6 |
| Beet | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 20 |
| Potato | — | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jun 16 |
| Kale | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 13 |
| Broccoli | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | May 30 |
| Cucumber | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 2 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jun 27 |
| Winter squash | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jul 5 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 29 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 27 – Oct 25 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 17 – Apr 14 | Apr 24 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Moses Lake'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 |
|---|---|
| 1950 | Apr 26 |
| 1951 | Apr 21 |
| 1952 | Apr 29 |
| 1953 | Apr 15 |
| 1954 | May 1 |
| 1955 | Apr 28 |
| 1956 | Apr 6 |
| 1957 | Mar 23 |
| 1958 | Mar 19 |
| 1959 | Apr 9 |
| 1960 | Mar 17 |
| 1961 | Apr 20 |
| 1962 | Apr 11 |
| 1963 | Apr 3 |
| 1964 | Apr 19 |
| 1965 | May 6 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | May 14 |
| 2000 | Apr 8 |
| 2001 | May 3 |
| 2002 | May 10 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | Apr 29 |
| 2005 | Apr 28 |
| 2006 | May 13 |
| 2007 | Apr 30 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | May 1 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 1 |
| 2012 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 1 |
| 2014 | Apr 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | Mar 29 |
| 2017 | May 2 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Mar 30 |
| 2020 | Apr 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 12 |
| 2022 | May 11 |
| 2023 | Apr 22 |
| 2024 | May 2 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 157 |
| 1951 | 176 |
| 1952 | 168 |
| 1953 | 191 |
| 1954 | 152 |
| 1955 | 160 |
| 1956 | 198 |
| 1957 | 212 |
| 1958 | 215 |
| 1959 | 183 |
| 1960 | 205 |
| 1961 | 154 |
| 1962 | 187 |
| 1963 | 198 |
| 1964 | 180 |
| 1965 | 133 |
| 1998 | 168 |
| 1999 | 136 |
| 2000 | 166 |
| 2001 | 155 |
| 2002 | 143 |
| 2003 | 157 |
| 2004 | 177 |
| 2005 | 162 |
| 2006 | 149 |
| 2007 | 169 |
| 2008 | 159 |
| 2009 | 154 |
| 2010 | 157 |
| 2011 | 176 |
| 2012 | 146 |
| 2013 | 155 |
| 2014 | 202 |
| 2015 | 190 |
| 2016 | 196 |
| 2017 | 156 |
| 2018 | 162 |
| 2019 | 184 |
| 2020 | 187 |
| 2021 | 177 |
| 2022 | 170 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 150 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1949 | 18.7 °C |
| 1950 | 17.8 °C |
| 1951 | 18.2 °C |
| 1952 | 18.4 °C |
| 1953 | 17.4 °C |
| 1954 | 16.8 °C |
| 1955 | 17.1 °C |
| 1956 | 19.1 °C |
| 1957 | 18.5 °C |
| 1958 | 19.9 °C |
| 1959 | 17.4 °C |
| 1960 | 18.1 °C |
| 1961 | 18.3 °C |
| 1962 | 17.3 °C |
| 1963 | 17.6 °C |
| 1964 | 16.6 °C |
| 1965 | 17.7 °C |
| 1998 | 18.9 °C |
| 1999 | 16.9 °C |
| 2000 | 17.3 °C |
| 2001 | 17.6 °C |
| 2002 | 17.5 °C |
| 2003 | 18.1 °C |
| 2004 | 18.3 °C |
| 2005 | 17.8 °C |
| 2006 | 17.8 °C |
| 2007 | 17.7 °C |
| 2008 | 17.4 °C |
| 2009 | 18.2 °C |
| 2010 | 17.0 °C |
| 2011 | 16.6 °C |
| 2012 | 18.0 °C |
| 2013 | 18.9 °C |
| 2014 | 19.4 °C |
| 2015 | 19.4 °C |
| 2016 | 18.6 °C |
| 2017 | 18.5 °C |
| 2018 | 18.4 °C |
| 2019 | 19.3 °C |
| 2020 | 19.3 °C |
| 2021 | 19.6 °C |
| 2022 | 18.1 °C |
| 2023 | 18.7 °C |
| 2024 | 18.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1950, Moses Lake's last spring frost has come about 2 days later per decade, on average. The frost-free season has shrunk by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Moses Lake Grant Co Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.