Frost Report

All states California

Frost dates for Yosemite Park Hq, 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

April 21

typical year

Safe to plant

May 13

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 27

typical year

Growing season

186 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Mar 24 – Apr 7 –
Spinach – Mar 10 – 31 Sep 1 – 15
Lettuce – Mar 24 – Apr 14 Sep 1 – 15
Radishes – Mar 24 – May 5 Sep 15 – 29
Onions – Mar 24 – Apr 7 –
Potatoes – Mar 31 – Apr 14 –
Carrots – Mar 31 – Apr 21 Aug 4 – 18
Beets – Mar 24 – Apr 7 Aug 18 – Sep 1
Kale Feb 10 – 24 Mar 24 – Apr 7 Aug 18 – Sep 1
Broccoli Feb 10 – 24 Apr 7 – 21 Aug 18 – Sep 1
Cabbage Jan 27 – Feb 10 Mar 24 – Apr 7 Aug 18 – Sep 1
Garlic – – Sep 15 – Oct 6
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 18 – Apr 1 May 13 – 27 –
Peppers Mar 11 – 25 May 20 – Jun 3 –
Cucumbers – May 13 – Jun 3 –
Zucchini – May 13 – Jun 10 –
Pumpkins – May 13 – Jun 3 –
Green beans – May 13 – Aug 18 –
Sweet corn – May 13 – Jun 10 –
Basil Apr 8 – 22 May 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 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after May 13April 21April 3
Fall frost before October 12October 27November 10

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 April 2 (April 22 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 9.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station YOSEMITE PARK HQ, CA US (USC00049855), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 9 miles:

95389

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.