Frost Report

All states California

Frost dates for Canyon Dam, CA

When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.

Last spring frost

May 18

typical year

Safe to plant

June 9

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 8

typical year

Growing season

143 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Apr 20 – May 4 –
Spinach – Apr 6 – 27 Aug 13 – 27
Lettuce – Apr 20 – May 11 Aug 13 – 27
Radishes – Apr 20 – Jun 1 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Onions – Apr 20 – May 4 –
Potatoes – Apr 27 – May 11 –
Carrots – Apr 27 – May 18 Jul 16 – 30
Beets – Apr 20 – May 4 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Kale Mar 9 – 23 Apr 20 – May 4 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Broccoli Mar 9 – 23 May 4 – 18 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Cabbage Feb 23 – Mar 9 Apr 20 – May 4 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Garlic – – Aug 27 – Sep 17
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Apr 14 – 28 Jun 9 – 23 –
Peppers Apr 7 – 21 Jun 16 – 30 –
Cucumbers – Jun 9 – 30 –
Zucchini – Jun 9 – Jul 7 –
Pumpkins – Jun 9 – 30 –
Green beans – Jun 9 – Jul 30 –
Sweet corn – Jun 9 – Jul 7 –
Basil May 5 – 19 Jun 16 – 23 –

Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.

The year at a glance

Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting

The chance of frost, by date

1 year in 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after June 9May 18April 30
Fall frost before September 24October 8October 24

Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.

Hard freeze (28°F)

A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 26 (May 16 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 26.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station CANYON DAM, CA US (USC00041497), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 3 zip codes, all within 14 miles:

95915, 95923, 95947

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.