Sumpter, OR frost dates

Gardening where frost is possible all year

The weather station nearest Sumpter, 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.

About these dates

Based on 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for the Austin 3 S, OR weather station, 30 km away (elevation 4,213 ft (1,284 m)).

Frost dates near Sumpter

• Haines May 25 · Sep 15
• Hereford frost any month
• Baker City May 25 · Sep 15
• Unity frost any month
• Bates frost any month
• North Powder May 11 · Sep 26
• Bridgeport May 25 · Sep 15
• Prairie City frost any month
• Ironside May 7 · Oct 3
• Union May 11 · Sep 26

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Sumpter, OR?

Sumpter, OR can freeze in any month, so there is no reliable last frost date. The nearest NOAA station averages 245 nights a year at or below 32°F.

What can I grow in Sumpter, 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.