Frost dates for Vacaville, 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
February 18
typical year
Safe to plant
March 25
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 28
typical year
Growing season
283 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 | – | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | – |
| Spinach | – | Jan 7 – 28 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 21 – Feb 11 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 21 – Mar 4 | Oct 17 – 31 |
| Onions | – | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 28 – Feb 18 | Sep 5 – 19 |
| Beets | – | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Kale | Dec 10 – 24 | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Broccoli | Dec 10 – 24 | Feb 4 – 18 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Cabbage | Nov 26 – Dec 10 | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 17 – Nov 7 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Apr 1 – 15 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 25 – Sep 19 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | – |
| Basil | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 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 | March 25 | February 18 | January 11 |
| Fall frost before | November 12 | November 28 | December 18 |
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 January 15 (February 17 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 10.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Vacaville
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station VACAVILLE NUT TREE AP, CA US (USW00093241), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 4 miles:
95625, 95687
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.