That is cold! What do you live that zone 8 would get those temps this late in May?

Near Seattle, on Whidbey Island. A cold front blew in last night......

That's a good example of how uninformative USDA zones can be for summer gardening. Here I am also in zone 8, and the nighttime temps are just dipping below 80F. USDA zones aren't about general climate. They are SPECIFICALLY about how cold it gets in the winter, and in that way are really informative only about survivability of perennials. They certainly have nothing to do with how hot it gets in the summer and so are pretty irrelevant to tomatoes and peppers.

I have to agree, daninthedirt. Especially in these times of climate change, it is best to check your local temperature for the right time to plant. If I have to put on a jacket to plant my tomatoes, it is too cold for heat loving plants. I don’t think we have ever had nighttime temperatures even close to 80 degrees.

Zone 8 winters and that mild of summers?! Your climate sounds heavenly (though I suppose it's damp).

When do you normally plant out up there anyways?