Frost Report

All states California

Frost dates for Mt Laguna #3, 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 21

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

November 8

typical year

Growing season

197 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 13 – 27
Lettuce – Mar 25 – Apr 15 Sep 13 – 27
Radishes – Mar 25 – May 6 Sep 27 – Oct 11
Onions – Mar 25 – Apr 8 –
Potatoes – Apr 1 – 15 –
Carrots – Apr 1 – 22 Aug 16 – 30
Beets – Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Kale Feb 11 – 25 Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Broccoli Feb 11 – 25 Apr 8 – 22 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Cabbage Jan 28 – Feb 11 Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Garlic – – Sep 27 – Oct 18
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 26 – Apr 9 May 21 – Jun 4 –
Peppers Mar 19 – Apr 2 May 28 – Jun 11 –
Cucumbers – May 21 – Jun 11 –
Zucchini – May 21 – Jun 18 –
Pumpkins – May 21 – Jun 11 –
Green beans – May 21 – Aug 30 –
Sweet corn – May 21 – Jun 18 –
Basil Apr 16 – 30 May 28 – Jun 4 –

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 21April 22March 25
Fall frost before October 10November 8December 4

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 April 2 (May 8 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 1.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station MT LAGUNA #3, CA US (USC00045968), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 3 zip codes, all within 10 miles:

91931, 91948, 91962

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