Frost dates for Paradise, 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 7
typical year
Safe to plant
April 1
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 18
typical year
Growing season
313 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 10 – 24 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 27 – Jan 17 | Oct 23 – Nov 6 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 10 – 31 | Oct 23 – Nov 6 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 10 – Feb 21 | Nov 6 – 20 |
| Onions | – | Jan 10 – 24 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 17 – 31 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 17 – Feb 7 | Sep 25 – Oct 9 |
| Beets | – | Jan 10 – 24 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Kale | Nov 29 – Dec 13 | Jan 10 – 24 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Broccoli | Nov 29 – Dec 13 | Jan 24 – Feb 7 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Cabbage | Nov 15 – 29 | Jan 10 – 24 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 6 – 27 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 4 – 18 | Apr 1 – 15 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Apr 8 – 22 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 1 – 22 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 1 – 29 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 1 – 22 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 1 – Oct 9 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 1 – 29 | – |
| Basil | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – 15 | – |
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 1 | February 7 | December 27 |
| Fall frost before | November 26 | December 18 | January 27 |
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 5 (February 14 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 31.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Paradise
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station PARADISE, CA US (USC00046685), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 2 miles:
95969
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.