Frost dates for El Capitan 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
March 19
typical year
Safe to plant
June 1
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 8
typical year
Growing season
270 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 5 – 26 | Oct 13 – 27 |
| Lettuce | – | Feb 19 – Mar 12 | Oct 13 – 27 |
| Radishes | – | Feb 19 – Apr 2 | Oct 27 – Nov 10 |
| Onions | – | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 26 – Mar 19 | Sep 15 – 29 |
| Beets | – | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Sep 29 – Oct 13 |
| Kale | Jan 8 – 22 | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Sep 29 – Oct 13 |
| Broccoli | Jan 8 – 22 | Mar 5 – 19 | Sep 29 – Oct 13 |
| Cabbage | Dec 25 – Jan 8 | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Sep 29 – Oct 13 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 27 – Nov 17 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Apr 6 – 20 | Jun 1 – 15 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | Jun 8 – 22 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Jun 1 – 22 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Jun 1 – 29 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Jun 1 – 22 | – |
| Green beans | – | Jun 1 – Sep 29 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Jun 1 – 29 | – |
| Basil | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 8 – 15 | – |
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 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | June 1 | March 19 | December 31 |
| Fall frost before | October 25 | December 8 | January 15 |
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 February 22 (April 20 in a late year), and the first one in fall around January 1.
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station EL CAPITAN DAM, CA US (USC00042709), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 6 miles:
92040
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.