Crater Lake, OR frost dates
Last spring frostAny monthno frost-free season
Freezing nights238 / yrat or below 32°F
Hardiness zone6bZone 6b
Gardening where frost is possible all year
The weather station nearest Crater Lake, OR records freezing temperatures in every month often enough that NOAA cannot define a frost-free season. Gardening is still possible — it just means planning for frost at any time:
- Grow fast, cold-tolerant crops: Radishes, Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Peas, Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Garlic.
- Plant once the soil can be worked — usually late spring to early summer at high elevation — and keep row covers ready for clear, still nights.
- Use season extension: cold frames, low tunnels, wall-of-water cloches or a greenhouse turn a few frost-free weeks into a real season.
- Frost-tender crops (tomatoes, squash, beans) need protection all season; choose the earliest varieties you can find.
How Crater Lake compares
- Nearby Medford, OR, 91 km away, has a regular frost season (last frost Apr 8), a reminder of how much elevation and distance from the coast matter.
About these dates
Based on 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for the Crater Lake Nps Hq, OR weather station, 6 km away (elevation 6,486 ft (1,977 m)).
Frost dates near Crater Lake
- Prospect May 19 · Oct 3
- Fort Klamath frost any month
- Chemult frost any month
- Butte Falls Apr 29 · Oct 17
- Chiloquin frost any month
- Tiller Apr 29 · Oct 17
- Trail Apr 29 · Oct 17
- Shady Cove Apr 29 · Oct 17
- Crescent frost any month
- Gilchrist Jun 7 · Sep 18
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in Crater Lake, OR?
Crater Lake, OR can freeze in any month, so there is no reliable last frost date. The nearest NOAA station averages 238 nights a year at or below 32°F.
What can I grow in Crater Lake, OR?
Fast, cold-tolerant crops such as radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, peas and potatoes, ideally under row covers, cold frames or a greenhouse. Frost-tender crops like tomatoes need protection all season.