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When to plant in Oak Harbor, WA

USDA Zone 8b

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

Oak Harbor enjoys a long ~246-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. In zone 8b, Oak Harbor supports a wide range of perennials year-round; the frost dates above are what set your annual vegetable timing.

Station · WHIDBEY ISLAND NAS · 6.9 km
Last spring frost
March 13
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 14
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
246 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Oak HarborA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Oak Harbor: last spring frost around March 13, first fall frost around November 14, about 246 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Oak Harbor is now 13 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

WHIDBEY ISLAND NAS · 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 Oak Harbor’s own odds, recorded at WHIDBEY ISLAND NAS.

Frost-probability curves for Oak HarborProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 13 and the first fall frost around November 14, giving about 246 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 29Apr 9Mar 22Oct 6Oct 28Nov 17
32°FApr 1Mar 13Feb 20Oct 26Nov 14Dec 5
28°FMar 12Feb 18Jan 5Nov 9Dec 1Jan 6

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 6 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 25August 8
Fall sowin 20 days
Rutabaga
August 8August 22

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 Oak Harbor, 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.

WHIDBEY ISLAND NAS
Primary
7 km · 14 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 13
FALL
Nov 14
COUPEVILLE 1 S
11 km · 15 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 17
FALL
Nov 11
PORT TOWNSEND
22 km · 31 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 1
FALL
Nov 28

Oak Harbor planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Oak Harbor, WA?

Plan for the last spring frost in Oak Harbor around March 13 (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 Oak Harbor, WA?

Expect Oak Harbor's first fall frost near November 14 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Oak Harbor in?

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

How long is the growing season in Oak Harbor?

Oak Harbor has about 246 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (March 13) and first fall frost (November 14).

When should I plant tomatoes in Oak Harbor?

For Oak Harbor, sow tomatoes indoors about January 16–January 30 and move the seedlings out around March 20, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Oak Harbor

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at WHIDBEY ISLAND NAS, 7 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 Oak Harbor, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00024255. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/washington/oak-harbor.
When to Plant in Oak Harbor, WA — Frost Dates & Zone 8b — BlissGarden