When to plant in Shelton, WA
Planting dates worked out from Shelton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 17
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 4
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 10
1 year in 10 by Sep 25
Frost-free days
157
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Shelton Ap · 4.0 km away · station 84 m, town 7 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 22 – Apr 5 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 16 |
| Peas | — | Mar 23 – Apr 20 | May 17 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 13 – May 25 | Jun 12 |
| Beet | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | May 26 |
| Potato | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 22 |
| Kale | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 19 |
| Broccoli | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jun 5 |
| Cucumber | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 1 |
| Winter squash | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jul 5 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 26 – Oct 24 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 23 – Apr 20 | Apr 30 |
| Basil | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 13 |
Shelton'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 | May 10 |
| 2000 | May 7 |
| 2001 | Apr 16 |
| 2002 | May 8 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | Apr 28 |
| 2005 | Apr 19 |
| 2006 | May 10 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 12 |
| 2009 | May 9 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 17 |
| 2012 | May 19 |
| 2013 | May 3 |
| 2014 | Apr 26 |
| 2015 | May 6 |
| 2016 | Apr 6 |
| 2017 | Apr 28 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 30 |
| 2020 | May 4 |
| 2021 | Apr 16 |
| 2022 | May 20 |
| 2023 | Apr 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 140 |
| 2000 | 175 |
| 2001 | 194 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 164 |
| 2004 | 181 |
| 2005 | 157 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 143 |
| 2008 | 133 |
| 2009 | 147 |
| 2010 | 159 |
| 2011 | 150 |
| 2012 | 115 |
| 2013 | 158 |
| 2014 | 194 |
| 2015 | 144 |
| 2016 | 187 |
| 2017 | 157 |
| 2018 | 162 |
| 2019 | 152 |
| 2020 | 169 |
| 2021 | 152 |
| 2022 | 155 |
| 2023 | 162 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 13.8 °C |
| 2002 | 14.3 °C |
| 2003 | 14.9 °C |
| 2004 | 15.5 °C |
| 2005 | 14.6 °C |
| 2006 | 14.8 °C |
| 2007 | 14.0 °C |
| 2008 | 13.6 °C |
| 2009 | 14.7 °C |
| 2010 | 13.6 °C |
| 2011 | 13.4 °C |
| 2012 | 13.9 °C |
| 2013 | 14.8 °C |
| 2014 | 15.7 °C |
| 2015 | 15.7 °C |
| 2016 | 15.8 °C |
| 2017 | 15.7 °C |
| 2018 | 15.9 °C |
| 2019 | 15.8 °C |
| 2020 | 15.2 °C |
| 2021 | 15.4 °C |
| 2022 | 14.8 °C |
| 2023 | 15.5 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Shelton Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.