Frost dates for Roseville, California
Roseville doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 99 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by February 22 and half their first by November 24.
Frost dates for
Roseville, California
Last spring frost
February 22
Not every winter has one: about 99 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 April 1.
First fall frost
November 24
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by November 9.
Growing season
277 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 236.
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 9 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9b.
Print a year planner for Roseville
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 | January 10 | February 22 | April 1 |
| First frost in fall | November 9 | November 24 | December 21 |
The frost-free season between them runs 277 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 324 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 236 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 81 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on January 17 and the first on December 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 1 and first on November 10. 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 Roseville
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 99 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.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 4 to 25 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 11 to 25 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 18 to February 1 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 25 to February 8 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 25 to February 8 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February | ||
| February 8 to 22 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 8 to 22 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 22 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March | ||
| March 8 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 8 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 29 to July 13 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 17 |
| July | ||
| July 19 to August 2 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 6 |
| August | ||
| August 28 | 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 | ||
| September 1 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 2 | 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 6 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 7 | 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 11 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 21 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 1 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 11 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 9 | 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 7 to January 4 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December 21 to January 18 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 38 days later. That plans around April 1, 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 Sacramento Metro Airport (station USW00093225), 15 miles from the center of Roseville. It sits 110 feet lower, at 20 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 Woodland and Lincoln.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 12 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 95626, 95659, 95668, 95673, 95676, 95691, 95747, 95765, 95833, 95834, 95835, 95837. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Sacramento, California: frost not every year (15 miles away)
- Elk Grove, California: frost not every year (25 miles away)
- Fairfield, 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.