Frost dates for Nevada City, 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 14
typical year
Safe to plant
May 7
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 20
typical year
Growing season
218 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 | – | Mar 17 – 31 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 3 – 24 | Sep 25 – Oct 9 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Sep 25 – Oct 9 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Onions | – | Mar 17 – 31 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Beets | – | Mar 17 – 31 | Sep 11 – 25 |
| Kale | Feb 3 – 17 | Mar 17 – 31 | Sep 11 – 25 |
| Broccoli | Feb 3 – 17 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Sep 11 – 25 |
| Cabbage | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 17 – 31 | Sep 11 – 25 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 9 – 30 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 12 – 26 | May 7 – 21 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 5 – 19 | May 14 – 28 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 7 – 28 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 7 – Jun 4 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 7 – 28 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 7 – Sep 11 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 7 – Jun 4 | – |
| Basil | Apr 2 – 16 | May 14 – 21 | – |
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 | May 7 | April 14 | March 15 |
| Fall frost before | October 23 | November 20 | December 12 |
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 17 (April 18 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 8.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Nevada City
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station NEVADA CITY, CA US (USC00046136), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 4 miles:
95945
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.