Frost dates for Los Banos Det Resv, 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
January 13
typical year
Safe to plant
February 10
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 14
typical year
Growing season
338 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 | – | Dec 16 – 30 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 2 – 23 | Oct 19 – Nov 2 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 16 – Jan 6 | Oct 19 – Nov 2 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 16 – Jan 27 | Nov 2 – 16 |
| Onions | – | Dec 16 – 30 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 23 – Jan 6 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 23 – Jan 13 | Sep 21 – Oct 5 |
| Beets | – | Dec 16 – 30 | Oct 5 – 19 |
| Kale | Nov 4 – 18 | Dec 16 – 30 | Oct 5 – 19 |
| Broccoli | Nov 4 – 18 | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Oct 5 – 19 |
| Cabbage | Oct 21 – Nov 4 | Dec 16 – 30 | Oct 5 – 19 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 2 – 23 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Dec 16 – 30 | Feb 10 – 24 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 9 – 23 | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 10 – Mar 3 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 10 – Mar 10 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 10 – Mar 3 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 10 – Oct 5 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 10 – Mar 10 | – |
| Basil | Jan 6 – 20 | Feb 17 – 24 | – |
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 | February 10 | January 13 | December 22 |
| Fall frost before | December 1 | December 14 | January 10 |
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 1 (January 20 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 25.
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station LOS BANOS DET RESV, CA US (USC00045120), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 22 miles:
93622
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.