Frost dates for Palo Alto, 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
February 1
typical year
Safe to plant
March 4
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 7
typical year
Growing season
310 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 | – | Jan 4 – 18 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 21 – Jan 11 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 4 – 25 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 4 – Feb 15 | Oct 26 – Nov 9 |
| Onions | – | Jan 4 – 18 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 11 – 25 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 11 – Feb 1 | Sep 14 – 28 |
| Beets | – | Jan 4 – 18 | Sep 28 – Oct 12 |
| Kale | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | Jan 4 – 18 | Sep 28 – Oct 12 |
| Broccoli | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Sep 28 – Oct 12 |
| Cabbage | Nov 9 – 23 | Jan 4 – 18 | Sep 28 – Oct 12 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 26 – Nov 16 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 7 – 21 | Mar 4 – 18 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 31 – Jan 14 | Mar 11 – 25 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 4 – 25 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 4 – 25 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 4 – Sep 28 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | – |
| Basil | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Mar 11 – 18 | – |
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 | March 4 | February 1 | December 28 |
| Fall frost before | November 20 | December 7 | January 6 |
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 January 4 (February 17 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 22.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 3 towns.
Palo Alto, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station PALO ALTO, CA US (USC00046646), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 6 zip codes, all within 4 miles:
94025, 94301, 94303, 94304, 94305, 94306
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.