Frost dates for Half Moon Bay, 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
February 6
typical year
Safe to plant
March 25
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 17
typical year
Growing season
328 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 | – | Jan 9 – 23 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 26 – Jan 16 | Oct 22 – Nov 5 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 9 – 30 | Oct 22 – Nov 5 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 9 – Feb 20 | Nov 5 – 19 |
| Onions | – | Jan 9 – 23 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 16 – 30 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 16 – Feb 6 | Sep 24 – Oct 8 |
| Beets | – | Jan 9 – 23 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Kale | Nov 28 – Dec 12 | Jan 9 – 23 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Broccoli | Nov 28 – Dec 12 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Cabbage | Nov 14 – 28 | Jan 9 – 23 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 5 – 26 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – 15 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 25 – Oct 8 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | – |
| Basil | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – 8 | – |
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 | March 25 | February 6 | December 17 |
| Fall frost before | November 25 | December 17 | February 13 |
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 5 (February 26 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 31.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Half Moon Bay
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station HALF MOON BAY, CA US (USC00043714), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 3 miles:
94018, 94019
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.