Frost dates for Redwood City, 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 17
typical year
Safe to plant
February 16
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 12
typical year
Growing season
333 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 20 – Jan 3 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 6 – 27 | Oct 17 – 31 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 20 – Jan 10 | Oct 17 – 31 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 20 – Jan 31 | Oct 31 – Nov 14 |
| Onions | – | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 27 – Jan 10 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 27 – Jan 17 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Beets | – | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Kale | Nov 8 – 22 | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Broccoli | Nov 8 – 22 | Jan 3 – 17 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Cabbage | Oct 25 – Nov 8 | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 31 – Nov 21 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Dec 22 – Jan 5 | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 15 – 29 | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 16 – Mar 9 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 16 – Mar 16 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 16 – Mar 9 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 16 – Oct 3 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 16 – Mar 16 | – |
| Basil | Jan 12 – 26 | Feb 23 – Mar 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 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | February 16 | January 17 | December 20 |
| Fall frost before | November 24 | December 12 | January 14 |
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 26.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.
Redwood City, Foster City, San Carlos, Belmont, Atherton
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station REDWOOD CITY, CA US (USC00047339), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 8 zip codes, all within 6 miles:
94002, 94027, 94061, 94063, 94065, 94070, 94403, 94404
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.