blissgarden.

When to plant in Burien, WA

USDA Zone 9a

Burien, Washington frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

Burien enjoys a long ~266-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. Zone 9a is warm enough that Burien can grow subtropical perennials, and the short (or absent) frost period barely limits the annual calendar.

Station · SEATTLE TACOMA INTL AP · 4.2 km
Last spring frost
March 2
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 23
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
266 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for BurienA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Burien: last spring frost around March 2, first fall frost around November 23, about 266 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Burien is now 6 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

SEATTLE TACOMA INTL AP · 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 Burien’s own odds, recorded at SEATTLE TACOMA INTL AP.

Frost-probability curves for BurienProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 2 and the first fall frost around November 23, giving about 266 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 21Mar 31Mar 13Oct 24Nov 7Nov 23
32°FMar 23Mar 2Feb 5Nov 6Nov 23Dec 15
28°FFeb 28Feb 4Dec 20Nov 17Dec 10Jan 16

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 15 days
Brussels Sprouts
August 3August 17

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 Burien, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 10 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.

SEATTLE TACOMA INTL AP
Primary
4 km · 113 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 2
FALL
Nov 23
SEATTLE BOEING FLD
7 km · 6 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 13
FALL
Nov 17
RENTON MUNI AP
10 km · 9 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 13
FALL
Nov 16

Burien planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Burien, WA?

Burien's average last spring frost falls near March 2 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in Burien, WA?

In Burien, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around November 23 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Burien in?

Burien is in USDA hardiness zone 9a. In zone 9a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Burien?

There are roughly 266 frost-free days in Burien (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 2 to the first fall frost near November 23.

When should I plant tomatoes in Burien?

In Burien, start tomato seeds indoors around January 5–January 19, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 9 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Burien

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at SEATTLE TACOMA INTL AP, 4 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 Burien, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 9a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00024233. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/washington/burien.
When to Plant in Burien, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 9a — BlissGarden