Spokane, Washington: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “Spokane” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (Spokane), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 99201, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station Spokane INTL AP, WA (USW00024157), 5 mi (8 km) from the ZCTA 99201 centroid, elevation 2353 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeApril 261-in-10 after May 10

First fall freezeOctober 121-in-10 before Sep 29

Frost-free season≈ 168 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Apr 6 – Oct 23kills even hardy greens

USDA zone7a0 to 5°F winter low — not frost timing

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to May 10

The Spokane year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant May 3 – May 17
Peas: plant March 15 – March 29
Garlic: plant cloves October 19 – October 26

All 79 crops in Spokane

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

Seattle, WA · Boise, ID · Portland, OR · Billings, MT · Salt Lake City, UT