Frost dates for Manteca, 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
February 28
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 1
typical year
Growing season
304 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 6 – 20 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 9 – 30 | Oct 6 – 20 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 9 – Feb 20 | Oct 20 – Nov 3 |
| Onions | – | Jan 9 – 23 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 16 – 30 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 16 – Feb 6 | Sep 8 – 22 |
| Beets | – | Jan 9 – 23 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Kale | Nov 28 – Dec 12 | Jan 9 – 23 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Broccoli | Nov 28 – Dec 12 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Cabbage | Nov 14 – 28 | Jan 9 – 23 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 20 – Nov 10 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 3 – 17 | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 27 – Jan 10 | Mar 7 – 21 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 28 – Mar 21 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 28 – Mar 28 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 28 – Mar 21 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 28 – Sep 22 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 28 – Mar 28 | – |
| Basil | Jan 24 – Feb 7 | Mar 7 – 14 | – |
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 28 | February 6 | December 31 |
| Fall frost before | November 15 | December 1 | December 26 |
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 10 (February 5 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 16.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 3 towns.
Manteca, Lathrop, Ripon
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station STOCKTON METRO AP, CA US (USW00023237), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 6 zip codes, all within 13 miles:
95215, 95231, 95320, 95330, 95336, 95366
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.