Frost dates for Lancaster, California
In Lancaster, half of springs have had their last frost by April 3 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 23), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 1, leaving about 211 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Lancaster, California
Last spring frost
April 3
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 23: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 1
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 17.
Growing season
211 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 185.
Hardiness zone
8b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 15°F to 20°F. It was 8b on the 2012 map too. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 1 in 8a and 2 in 8b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Lancaster WM J Fox Field (4 miles away, at 2,340 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of April 3 and a typical first frost of November 1. NOAA's Palmdale Airport (7 miles away, at 2,520 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of March 18 and a typical first frost of November 15. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from March 18 to April 3 and the typical first frost from November 1 to 15, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Lancaster
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 8 | April 3 | April 23 |
| First frost in fall | October 17 | November 1 | November 14 |
The frost-free season between them runs 211 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 240 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 185 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 8 and first on November 10. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 19 and first on October 22. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Lancaster comes between March 8 and April 23, a window of 46 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among California's 169 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 55 percent have their typical last frost later than Lancaster does.
Planting calendar for Lancaster
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 16 to February 13 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 30 to February 27 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 13 to March 6 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 20 to March 6 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 27 to March 13 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 6 to 20 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 6 to 20 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 20 to April 3 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 20 to April 3 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 3 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 17 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 17 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 6 to 20 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 25 |
| June 26 to July 10 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 14 |
| August | ||
| August 5 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 9 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 10 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 14 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 15 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 19 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 29 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 8 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 18 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 17 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 17 to 24 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 20 days later. That plans around April 23, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Lancaster WM J Fox Field (station USW00003159), 4 miles from the center of Lancaster. It sits at about the same elevation, 2,340 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 5 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 93524, 93534, 93535, 93536, 93560. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Palmdale, California: last frost around March 18, first frost around November 15 (8 miles away)
- Santa Clarita, California: frost not every year (25 miles away)
- Pasadena, California: frost not every year (35 miles away)
See frost dates across California, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.