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When to plant in Burlington, WA

USDA Zone 8b

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Burlington, Washington — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

Zone 8b means many perennials and even some tender shrubs overwinter in Burlington, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · MT VERNON 3 WNW · 5.2 km
Last spring frost
March 24
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 3
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
224 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for BurlingtonA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Burlington: last spring frost around March 24, first fall frost around November 3, about 224 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average first fall frost in Burlington is now 7 days later than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

MT VERNON 3 WNW · 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 Burlington’s own odds, recorded at MT VERNON 3 WNW.

Frost-probability curves for BurlingtonProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 24 and the first fall frost around November 3, giving about 224 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°FMay 5Apr 18Mar 29Sep 29Oct 16Nov 6
32°FApr 14Mar 24Mar 3Oct 12Nov 3Nov 25
28°FMar 17Feb 27Jan 23Oct 31Nov 25Dec 23

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

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowopen now
Brussels Sprouts
July 14July 28
Fall sowin 9 days
Rutabaga
July 28August 11
Fall sowin 23 days
Broccoli
August 11August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Cabbage
August 11August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Carrot
August 11August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Cauliflower
August 11August 25
Fall sowin 23 days
Napa Cabbage
August 11September 8

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 22 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.

MT VERNON 3 WNW
Primary
5 km · 4 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 24
FALL
Nov 3
SEDRO-WOOLLEY
8 km · 18 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 27
FALL
Nov 6
ANACORTES
22 km · 6 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 8
FALL
Nov 20

Burlington planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Burlington, WA?

Plan for the last spring frost in Burlington around March 24 (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 Burlington, WA?

Expect Burlington's first fall frost near November 3 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Burlington in?

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

How long is the growing season in Burlington?

There are roughly 224 frost-free days in Burlington (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 24 to the first fall frost near November 3.

When should I plant tomatoes in Burlington?

In Burlington, start tomato seeds indoors around January 27–February 10, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 31 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Burlington

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at MT VERNON 3 WNW, 5 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 Burlington, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00455678. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/washington/burlington.
When to Plant in Burlington, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 8b — BlissGarden