Frost Report

All states California

Frost dates for Friant Government Camp, 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 9

typical year

Safe to plant

April 16

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

December 1

typical year

Growing season

262 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 – Feb 9 – 23 –
Spinach – Jan 26 – Feb 16 Oct 6 – 20
Lettuce – Feb 9 – Mar 2 Oct 6 – 20
Radishes – Feb 9 – Mar 23 Oct 20 – Nov 3
Onions – Feb 9 – 23 –
Potatoes – Feb 16 – Mar 2 –
Carrots – Feb 16 – Mar 9 Sep 8 – 22
Beets – Feb 9 – 23 Sep 22 – Oct 6
Kale Dec 29 – Jan 12 Feb 9 – 23 Sep 22 – Oct 6
Broccoli Dec 29 – Jan 12 Feb 23 – Mar 9 Sep 22 – Oct 6
Cabbage Dec 15 – 29 Feb 9 – 23 Sep 22 – Oct 6
Garlic – – Oct 20 – Nov 10
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Feb 19 – Mar 5 Apr 16 – 30 –
Peppers Feb 12 – 26 Apr 23 – May 7 –
Cucumbers – Apr 16 – May 7 –
Zucchini – Apr 16 – May 14 –
Pumpkins – Apr 16 – May 7 –
Green beans – Apr 16 – Sep 22 –
Sweet corn – Apr 16 – May 14 –
Basil Mar 12 – 26 Apr 23 – 30 –

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 April 16March 9January 22
Fall frost before November 12December 1December 22

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 January 19 (February 28 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 13.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station FRIANT GOVERNMENT CAMP, CA US (USC00043261), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 21 miles:

93619, 93626, 93653, 93730

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