When to plant in Renton, WA
Planting dates worked out from Renton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 2
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Mar 14
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 14
1 year in 10 by Oct 28
Frost-free days
238
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Renton Muni Ap · 1.4 km away · station 6 m, town 12 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 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 23 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 28 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 10 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 26 |
| Peas | — | Jan 31 – Feb 28 | Mar 27 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 7 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 14 – Apr 25 | May 13 |
| Beet | — | Mar 14 – Apr 25 | May 3 |
| Potato | — | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | May 23 |
| Kale | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 29 |
| Broccoli | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | Apr 15 |
| Cucumber | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 18 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 13 |
| Winter squash | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jul 18 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 17 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | May 15 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 18 – Nov 15 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Jan 31 – Feb 28 | Mar 10 |
| Basil | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 25 |
Renton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Mar 11 |
| 2000 | Mar 20 |
| 2001 | Mar 22 |
| 2002 | Mar 8 |
| 2003 | Feb 27 |
| 2004 | Feb 13 |
| 2005 | Feb 24 |
| 2006 | Mar 20 |
| 2007 | Apr 3 |
| 2008 | Apr 3 |
| 2009 | Mar 26 |
| 2010 | Mar 18 |
| 2011 | Apr 8 |
| 2012 | Mar 23 |
| 2013 | Mar 24 |
| 2014 | Mar 22 |
| 2015 | Mar 4 |
| 2016 | Jan 15 |
| 2017 | Mar 19 |
| 2018 | Mar 15 |
| 2019 | Mar 11 |
| 2020 | Mar 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 11 |
| 2022 | Mar 10 |
| 2023 | Mar 27 |
| 2024 | Mar 7 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 288 |
| 2000 | 234 |
| 2001 | 219 |
| 2002 | 235 |
| 2003 | 245 |
| 2004 | 263 |
| 2005 | 263 |
| 2006 | 223 |
| 2007 | 205 |
| 2008 | 253 |
| 2009 | 232 |
| 2010 | 248 |
| 2011 | 211 |
| 2012 | 231 |
| 2013 | 240 |
| 2014 | 234 |
| 2015 | 260 |
| 2016 | 323 |
| 2017 | 259 |
| 2018 | 247 |
| 2019 | 232 |
| 2020 | 221 |
| 2021 | 219 |
| 2022 | 243 |
| 2023 | 214 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 15.9 °C |
| 2000 | 15.9 °C |
| 2001 | 15.9 °C |
| 2002 | 15.8 °C |
| 2003 | 16.6 °C |
| 2004 | 17.1 °C |
| 2005 | 16.3 °C |
| 2006 | 16.4 °C |
| 2007 | 16.0 °C |
| 2008 | 15.2 °C |
| 2009 | 16.6 °C |
| 2010 | 15.2 °C |
| 2011 | 15.1 °C |
| 2012 | 16.1 °C |
| 2013 | 16.8 °C |
| 2014 | 17.4 °C |
| 2015 | 17.5 °C |
| 2016 | 17.3 °C |
| 2017 | 17.3 °C |
| 2018 | 17.6 °C |
| 2019 | 17.3 °C |
| 2020 | 16.8 °C |
| 2021 | 17.4 °C |
| 2022 | 16.7 °C |
| 2023 | 17.5 °C |
| 2024 | 16.9 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Renton Muni Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.