Frost dates for San Jose, 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 2
typical year
Safe to plant
January 23
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 25
typical year
Growing season
362 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 5 – 19 | – |
| Spinach | – | Nov 21 – Dec 12 | Oct 30 – Nov 13 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 5 – 26 | Oct 30 – Nov 13 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 5 – Jan 16 | Nov 13 – 27 |
| Onions | – | Dec 5 – 19 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 12 – 26 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 12 – Jan 2 | Oct 2 – 16 |
| Beets | – | Dec 5 – 19 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Kale | Oct 24 – Nov 7 | Dec 5 – 19 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Broccoli | Oct 24 – Nov 7 | Dec 19 – Jan 2 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Cabbage | Oct 10 – 24 | Dec 5 – 19 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 13 – Dec 4 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Nov 28 – Dec 12 | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | – |
| Peppers | Nov 21 – Dec 5 | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Jan 23 – Feb 13 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Jan 23 – Feb 20 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Jan 23 – Feb 13 | – |
| Green beans | – | Jan 23 – Oct 16 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Jan 23 – Feb 20 | – |
| Basil | Dec 19 – Jan 2 | Jan 30 – Feb 6 | – |
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 | January 23 | January 2 | December 14 |
| Fall frost before | December 4 | December 25 | 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 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 1 town.
San Jose
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station SAN JOSE, CA US (USC00047821), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 15 zip codes, all within 8 miles:
95110, 95111, 95112, 95113, 95116, 95121, 95122, 95125, 95126, 95127, 95128, 95132, 95133, 95136, 95148
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.