Frost dates for Santa Clara, 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 12
typical year
Safe to plant
February 14
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 22
typical year
Growing season
347 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 15 – 29 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 1 – 22 | Oct 27 – Nov 10 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 15 – Jan 5 | Oct 27 – Nov 10 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 15 – Jan 26 | Nov 10 – 24 |
| Onions | – | Dec 15 – 29 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 22 – Jan 5 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 22 – Jan 12 | Sep 29 – Oct 13 |
| Beets | – | Dec 15 – 29 | Oct 13 – 27 |
| Kale | Nov 3 – 17 | Dec 15 – 29 | Oct 13 – 27 |
| Broccoli | Nov 3 – 17 | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | Oct 13 – 27 |
| Cabbage | Oct 20 – Nov 3 | Dec 15 – 29 | Oct 13 – 27 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 10 – Dec 1 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | Feb 14 – 28 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 13 – 27 | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 14 – Mar 14 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 14 – Oct 13 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 14 – Mar 14 | – |
| Basil | Jan 10 – 24 | Feb 21 – 28 | – |
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 14 | January 12 | December 20 |
| Fall frost before | December 1 | December 22 | January 20 |
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 17 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 28.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.
Santa Clara, Milpitas
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station SAN JOSE, CA US (USW00023293), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 9 zip codes, all within 6 miles:
95035, 95050, 95051, 95053, 95054, 95117, 95129, 95131, 95134
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.