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When to plant in Anacortes, WA

USDA Zone 8b

Here are the average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and a month-by-month planting calendar for Anacortes, Washington — all computed from Anacortes's nearest NOAA weather station.

With about 257 frost-free days, Anacortes supports back-to-back plantings; stagger sowings every few weeks to keep beds productive spring through fall. Zone 8b means many perennials and even some tender shrubs overwinter in Anacortes, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · ANACORTES · 2.7 km
Last spring frost
March 8
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 20
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
257 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for AnacortesA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Anacortes: last spring frost around March 8, first fall frost around November 20, about 257 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

ANACORTES · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Anacortes’s own odds, recorded at ANACORTES.

Frost-probability curves for AnacortesProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 8 and the first fall frost around November 20, giving about 257 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FApr 21Apr 1Mar 15Oct 17Nov 2Nov 22
32°FMar 28Mar 8Feb 17Nov 1Nov 20Dec 11
28°FMar 5Feb 15Jan 5Nov 13Dec 5Jan 9

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 12 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 31August 14
Fall sowin 26 days
Rutabaga
August 14August 28

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Anacortes, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 18 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

ANACORTES
Primary
3 km · 6 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 8
FALL
Nov 20
WHIDBEY ISLAND NAS
16 km · 14 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 13
FALL
Nov 14
MT VERNON 3 WNW
18 km · 4 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 24
FALL
Nov 3

Anacortes planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Anacortes, WA?

Plan for the last spring frost in Anacortes around March 8 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Anacortes, WA?

The first fall frost in Anacortes typically arrives around November 20 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is Anacortes in?

Anacortes is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. In zone 8b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Anacortes?

There are roughly 257 frost-free days in Anacortes (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 8 to the first fall frost near November 20.

When should I plant tomatoes in Anacortes?

In Anacortes, start tomato seeds indoors around January 11–January 25, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 15 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Anacortes

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Anacortes’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at ANACORTES, 3 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Anacortes, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00450176. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/washington/anacortes.
When to Plant in Anacortes, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 8b — BlissGarden