Frost dates for Porterville, 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 20
typical year
Safe to plant
February 22
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 13
typical year
Growing season
330 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 23 – Jan 6 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 9 – 30 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 23 – Jan 13 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 23 – Feb 3 | Nov 1 – 15 |
| Onions | – | Dec 23 – Jan 6 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 30 – Jan 20 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Beets | – | Dec 23 – Jan 6 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Kale | Nov 11 – 25 | Dec 23 – Jan 6 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Broccoli | Nov 11 – 25 | Jan 6 – 20 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Cabbage | Oct 28 – Nov 11 | Dec 23 – Jan 6 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 1 – 22 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Dec 28 – Jan 11 | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Mar 1 – 15 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 22 – Mar 22 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 22 – Oct 4 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 22 – Mar 22 | – |
| Basil | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Mar 1 – 8 | – |
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 22 | January 20 | December 25 |
| Fall frost before | November 26 | December 13 | 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 December 31 (January 22 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 23.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Porterville
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station PORTERVILLE, CA US (USC00047077), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 22 miles:
93208, 93257, 93258, 93270
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.