Frost dates for San Francisco, 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
December 30
typical year
Safe to plant
March 13
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 25
typical year
Growing season
365 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 2 – 16 | – |
| Spinach | – | Nov 18 – Dec 9 | Oct 30 – Nov 13 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 2 – 23 | Oct 30 – Nov 13 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 2 – Jan 13 | Nov 13 – 27 |
| Onions | – | Dec 2 – 16 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 9 – 23 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 9 – 30 | Oct 2 – 16 |
| Beets | – | Dec 2 – 16 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Kale | Oct 21 – Nov 4 | Dec 2 – 16 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Broccoli | Oct 21 – Nov 4 | Dec 16 – 30 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Cabbage | Oct 7 – 21 | Dec 2 – 16 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 13 – Dec 4 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 16 – 30 | Mar 13 – 27 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 9 – 23 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 13 – Apr 10 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 13 – Oct 16 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 13 – Apr 10 | – |
| Basil | Feb 6 – 20 | Mar 20 – 27 | – |
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 13 | December 30 | December 2 |
| Fall frost before | November 26 | December 25 | February 13 |
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 n/a (n/a in a late year), and the first one in fall around n/a.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 3 towns.
San Francisco, Daly City, Colma
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station SAN FRANCISCO OCEANSIDE, CA US (USC00047767), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 30 zip codes, all within 8 miles:
94014, 94015, 94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94112, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94121, 94122, 94123, 94124, 94127, 94129, 94131, 94132, 94133, 94134, 94158, 94188, 94965
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.