Frost dates for Modesto, California
Modesto doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 97 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by January 31 and half their first by December 5.
Frost dates for
Modesto, California
Last spring frost
January 31
Not every winter has one: about 97 years in 100 have a freezing night here. In those years, half have their last frost by this date, and 1 in 10 still have one after February 25.
First fall frost
December 5
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by November 20.
Growing season
312 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 279.
Hardiness zone
9b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 25°F to 30°F. It was 9b on the 2012 map too. All 6 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Modesto City Co Airport (3 miles away, at 70 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of January 31 and a typical first frost of December 5. NOAA's Turlock #2 (15 miles away, at 100 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of January 6 and a typical first frost of December 20. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from January 6 to 31 and the typical first frost from December 5 to 20, 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 Modesto
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 | December 31 | January 31 | February 25 |
| First frost in fall | November 20 | December 5 | January 6 |
The frost-free season between them runs 312 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 343 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 279 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 68 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on January 8 and the first on December 21. 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 March 1 and first on November 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.
Planting calendar for Modesto
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.
Frost doesn't come every year here: about 97 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 3 to 17 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 3 to 17 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 17 to 31 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 17 to 31 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 31 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| February | ||
| February 14 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| February 14 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 10 to 24 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 28 |
| July 30 to August 13 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 17 |
| September | ||
| September 8 | 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 |
| September 12 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 13 | 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 |
| September 17 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 18 | 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 |
| September 22 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 2 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 12 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 22 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 15 to December 13 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| November 20 | 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 29 to December 27 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December | ||
| December 13 to January 3 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| December 20 to January 3 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| December 27 to January 10 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 25 days later. That plans around February 25, 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 Modesto City Co Airport (station USW00023258), 3 miles from the center of Modesto. It sits at about the same elevation, 70 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.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Ceres, Patterson, Riverbank and Oakdale.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 16 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 95307, 95319, 95328, 95350, 95351, 95354, 95355, 95356, 95357, 95358, 95361, 95363, 95367, 95368, 95385, 95387. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Stockton, California: frost not every year (30 miles away)
- Antioch, California: frost not every year (50 miles away)
- San Jose, California: frost not every year (50 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.