Frost dates for Oakland, 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 7
typical year
Safe to plant
February 8
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 23
typical year
Growing season
356 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 10 – 24 | – |
| Spinach | – | Nov 26 – Dec 17 | Oct 28 – Nov 11 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 10 – 31 | Oct 28 – Nov 11 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 10 – Jan 21 | Nov 11 – 25 |
| Onions | – | Dec 10 – 24 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 17 – 31 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 17 – Jan 7 | Sep 30 – Oct 14 |
| Beets | – | Dec 10 – 24 | Oct 14 – 28 |
| Kale | Oct 29 – Nov 12 | Dec 10 – 24 | Oct 14 – 28 |
| Broccoli | Oct 29 – Nov 12 | Dec 24 – Jan 7 | Oct 14 – 28 |
| Cabbage | Oct 15 – 29 | Dec 10 – 24 | Oct 14 – 28 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 11 – Dec 2 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Dec 14 – 28 | Feb 8 – 22 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 7 – 21 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 8 – Mar 1 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 8 – Mar 8 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 8 – Mar 1 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 8 – Oct 14 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 8 – Mar 8 | – |
| Basil | Jan 4 – 18 | Feb 15 – 22 | – |
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 8 | January 7 | December 13 |
| Fall frost before | November 30 | December 23 | January 24 |
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 December 30 (January 15 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 28.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 3 towns.
Oakland, San Leandro, Alameda
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station OAKLAND METRO INTL AP, CA US (USW00023230), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 10 zip codes, all within 6 miles:
94501, 94502, 94577, 94601, 94603, 94605, 94606, 94613, 94619, 94621
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.