Frost dates for Ojai, 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
March 21
typical year
Safe to plant
April 15
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 15
typical year
Growing season
235 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 | – | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 7 – 28 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Lettuce | – | Feb 21 – Mar 14 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Radishes | – | Feb 21 – Apr 4 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Onions | – | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 28 – Mar 21 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Beets | – | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Kale | Jan 10 – 24 | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Broccoli | Jan 10 – 24 | Mar 7 – 21 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Cabbage | Dec 27 – Jan 10 | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 4 – 25 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 15 – 29 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 11 – 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 15 – May 6 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 15 – May 13 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 15 – May 6 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 15 – Sep 6 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 15 – May 13 | – |
| Basil | Mar 11 – 25 | Apr 22 – 29 | – |
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 | April 15 | March 21 | February 20 |
| Fall frost before | October 28 | November 15 | December 2 |
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 February 17 (March 15 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 1.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Ojai
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station OJAI, CA US (USC00046399), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 9 miles:
93001, 93022, 93023, 93060
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.