Frost Report

All states California

Frost dates for Pacific House, 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 26

typical year

Safe to plant

May 19

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

November 2

typical year

Growing season

191 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 29 – Apr 12 –
Spinach – Mar 15 – Apr 5 Sep 7 – 21
Lettuce – Mar 29 – Apr 19 Sep 7 – 21
Radishes – Mar 29 – May 10 Sep 21 – Oct 5
Onions – Mar 29 – Apr 12 –
Potatoes – Apr 5 – 19 –
Carrots – Apr 5 – 26 Aug 10 – 24
Beets – Mar 29 – Apr 12 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Kale Feb 15 – Mar 1 Mar 29 – Apr 12 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Broccoli Feb 15 – Mar 1 Apr 12 – 26 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Cabbage Feb 1 – 15 Mar 29 – Apr 12 Aug 24 – Sep 7
Garlic – – Sep 21 – Oct 12
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 24 – Apr 7 May 19 – Jun 2 –
Peppers Mar 17 – 31 May 26 – Jun 9 –
Cucumbers – May 19 – Jun 9 –
Zucchini – May 19 – Jun 16 –
Pumpkins – May 19 – Jun 9 –
Green beans – May 19 – Aug 24 –
Sweet corn – May 19 – Jun 16 –
Basil Apr 14 – 28 May 26 – Jun 2 –

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 19April 26April 10
Fall frost before October 14November 2November 20

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 6 (April 24 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 22.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station PACIFIC HOUSE, CA US (USC00046597), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 5 zip codes, all within 18 miles:

95636, 95666, 95684, 95720, 95726

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