Frost dates in Eugene, Oregon
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.
Short answer
The average last spring frost in Eugene is April 11, and the average first fall frost is October 23, from NOAA's Eugene Mahlon Sweet Airport station, 7 miles from the middle of Eugene. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after May 9, and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 195 frost-free days. Eugene is in USDA planting zone 8b.
Weather stations around Eugene
The first row is the date most people in Eugene go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene Mahlon Sweet Airport 7 mi away, 353 ft | April 11 1 in 10 after May 9 | October 23 1 in 10 by October 6 | 195 days |
| Fern Ridge-Veneta 12 mi away, 485 ft | April 18 1 in 10 after May 5 | October 25 1 in 10 by October 6 | 190 days |
| Cottage Grove 2E 19 mi away, 595 ft | April 24 1 in 10 after May 10 | October 25 1 in 10 by September 30 | 184 days |
| Lookout Pt Dam 20 mi away, 712 ft | March 7 1 in 10 after April 2 | November 27 1 in 10 by November 1 | 265 days |
| Dorena 21 mi away, 820 ft | April 16 1 in 10 after May 11 | October 28 1 in 10 by October 4 | 195 days |
Distances are from the middle of Eugene as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 97401, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Eugene covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
More frost dates
All of Oregon, station by station.
Other Oregon cities: Portland · Salem
Nearby: Vancouver, WA · Tacoma, WA
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 city population estimates and place gazetteer