A month-by-month guide to growing vegetables and herbs in Ocean Shores — tailored to the
Pacific coastal climate, frost dates, and cool-summer conditions of zip code 98569.
USDA Zone 8b / 9aLast frost ~Feb 15 · First frost ~Dec 1~290-day growing season
2026 ENSO outlook for gardeners
Updated
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2026 ENSO outlook for gardeners:ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation)
is a natural climate cycle in the tropical Pacific Ocean that shifts between three phases: El Niño (warmer
ocean), La Niña (cooler ocean), and Neutral — each affecting temperature and rainfall patterns across the
globe, including the Pacific Northwest. El Niño conditions have now developed, and NOAA's Climate
Prediction Center puts the odds of it persisting through the rest of 2026 at 97–98%, with a good chance of
strengthening to moderate or even strong by fall/winter 2026–27. For our stretch of the PNW coast, that
typically points to a milder, drier autumn and winter — favorable for fall plantings and overwintering crops,
but worth watching for a lighter-than-usual start to the wet season. Each month below includes a specific
ENSO note with adjustments.
Key:
Start seeds indoors
Direct sow outdoors
Set out transplants
Harvest window
2026 ENSO note
Click any crop tag for details & variety
suggestions
A beginner-friendly explainer from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration) — the U.S. government agency that monitors and forecasts ocean and climate conditions.
Source: NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) ·
Full article at NOAA NESDIS →