Freeze watch for Salem area from midnight Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 29)
Quick Read
The National Weather Service in Portland issued a Freeze Watch for Salem, Keizer and the central Willamette Valley from midnight Friday night to 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
Temperatures of 32 degrees or lower are possible, and a Frost Advisory covers the Cascade foothills of Marion and Linn counties for the same hours.
Forecasters advise covering or bringing in sensitive plants and protecting outdoor plumbing.
The weather service says these are likely the last frost and freeze alerts of the year, since it stops issuing them after Oct. 31.
SALEM, Ore. - The National Weather Service in Portland issued a Freeze Watch at 11:14 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, for the Salem area and much of the northern and central Willamette Valley. It runs from midnight Friday night to 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
Forecasters say sub-freezing temperatures of 32 degrees or lower are possible. The NWS forecast for Salem as of Thursday afternoon calls for a partly cloudy Friday night with a low around 35. A watch means freezing temperatures are possible, not certain, and the weather service may upgrade it to a Freeze Warning or Frost Advisory as the night gets closer.
A Frost Advisory, with temperatures of 36 degrees or lower expected, is in effect for the same hours in the Cascade foothills of Marion and Linn counties, along with the Portland metro area and parts of the coast.
Where it applies
The Freeze Watch covers the East Central and West Central Willamette Valley, which include Salem, Keizer and much of Marion and Polk counties, along with the Tualatin Valley, the Clackamas County Cascade foothills and the Central Oregon Coast Range lowlands. The Frost Advisory covers the Cascade foothills of Marion and Linn counties, among other areas.
What to do
The weather service says frost and freezing temperatures could kill crops and other sensitive plants and could damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. Forecasters recommend taking steps now to protect tender outdoor plants, moving sensitive potted plants indoors, and covering plants with a lightweight cotton fabric such as bedsheets or thin blankets to help hold in heat.
The weather service also notes that frost and freeze alerts are only issued during the growing season, April 1 through Oct. 31. Starting Nov. 1, it won't issue them even when similar cold is expected, so gardeners will need to watch the forecast lows on their own.
For road conditions before an early Saturday drive, check ODOT TripCheck.
Willamette News will update this post if the weather service upgrades or changes the alerts.
Sources
National Weather Service Portland: Freeze Watch and Frost Advisory (issued Oct. 29, 2026)
ODOT TripCheck: road conditions
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