Frost Report

All states California

Frost dates for Groveland, 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

April 22

typical year

Safe to plant

May 14

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

November 2

typical year

Growing season

192 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 – Mar 25 – Apr 8 –
Spinach – Mar 11 – Apr 1 Sep 7 – 21
Lettuce – Mar 25 – Apr 15 Sep 7 – 21
Radishes – Mar 25 – May 6 Sep 21 – Oct 5
Onions – Mar 25 – Apr 8 –
Potatoes – Apr 1 – 15 –
Carrots – Apr 1 – 22 Aug 10 – 24
Beets – Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Kale Feb 11 – 25 Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Broccoli Feb 11 – 25 Apr 8 – 22 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Cabbage Jan 28 – Feb 11 Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Garlic – – Sep 21 – Oct 12
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 19 – Apr 2 May 14 – 28 –
Peppers Mar 12 – 26 May 21 – Jun 4 –
Cucumbers – May 14 – Jun 4 –
Zucchini – May 14 – Jun 11 –
Pumpkins – May 14 – Jun 4 –
Green beans – May 14 – Aug 24 –
Sweet corn – May 14 – Jun 11 –
Basil Apr 9 – 23 May 21 – 28 –

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 May 14April 22April 5
Fall frost before October 13November 2November 20

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 March 29 (April 22 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 19.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station GROVELAND 2, CA US (USC00043669), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 16 miles:

95305, 95311, 95329, 95379

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