Frost dates for Palmdale, California
In Palmdale, half of springs have had their last frost by March 18 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 11), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 15, leaving about 241 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
Palmdale, California
Last spring frost
March 18
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 11: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 15
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 30.
Growing season
241 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 209.
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: 2 in 8b and 2 in 9a.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Palmdale Airport (3 miles away, at 2,520 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of March 18 and a typical first frost of November 15. NOAA's Lancaster WM J Fox Field (10 miles away, at 2,340 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of April 3 and a typical first frost of November 1. 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 Palmdale
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 | February 19 | March 18 | April 11 |
| First frost in fall | October 30 | November 15 | November 30 |
The frost-free season between them runs 241 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 271 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 209 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on February 19 and first on November 27. 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 7 and first on November 4. 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 Palmdale comes between February 19 and April 11, a window of 51 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, 65 percent have their typical last frost later than Palmdale does.
Planting calendar for Palmdale
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 14 to February 11 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 28 to February 18 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 4 to 18 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 11 to 25 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 18 to March 4 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 18 to March 4 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 4 to 18 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 4 to 18 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 18 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 1 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 1 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 20 to July 4 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 8 |
| July | ||
| July 10 to 24 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 28 |
| August | ||
| August 19 | 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 23 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 24 | 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 28 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 29 | 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 | ||
| September 2 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 12 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 22 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 2 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 30 | 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 |
| December | ||
| December 4 to 11 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
| December 31 to January 28 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 24 days later. That plans around April 11, 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 Palmdale Airport (station USW00023182), 3 miles from the center of Palmdale. It sits at about the same elevation, 2,520 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.
Nearby places
- Lancaster, California: last frost around April 3, first frost around November 1 (8 miles away)
- Santa Clarita, California: frost not every year (25 miles away)
- Pasadena, California: frost not every year (30 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.