Frost dates for Sacramento, California
Sacramento doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 81 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by January 12 and half their first by December 16.
Frost dates for
Sacramento, California
Last spring frost
January 12
Not every winter has one: about 81 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 8.
First fall frost
December 16
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by November 28.
Growing season
341 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 308.
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 19 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Sacramento 5 ESE (3 miles away, at 40 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of January 12 and a typical first frost of December 16. NOAA's Sacramento Executive Airport (4 miles away, at 20 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of February 2 and a typical first frost of December 2. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from January 12 to February 2 and the typical first frost from December 2 to 16, 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 Sacramento
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 18 | January 12 | February 8 |
| First frost in fall | November 28 | December 16 | January 14 |
The frost-free season between them runs 341 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 there is no freeze at all, and in 1 year in 10 it is 308 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 25 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on December 31 and the first on December 25. 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 February 12 and first on December 1. 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 Sacramento
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 81 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 12 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| January 26 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| January 26 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 21 to August 4 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 8 |
| August | ||
| August 10 to 24 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 28 |
| September | ||
| September 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 |
| September 23 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 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 |
| September 28 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 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 |
| October | ||
| October 3 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 13 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 23 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 27 to November 24 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| November | ||
| November 2 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November 10 to December 8 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| November 24 to December 15 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| November 28 | 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 1 to 15 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| December 8 to 22 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December 15 to 29 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| December 15 to 29 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| December 29 to January 12 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| December 29 to January 12 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 27 days later. That plans around February 8, 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 5 ESE (station USW00023271), 3 miles from the center of Sacramento. It sits at about the same elevation, 40 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights and Rocklin.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 40 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 95608, 95610, 95621, 95624, 95628, 95630, 95650, 95652, 95655, 95660, 95661, 95662, 95670, 95671, 95677, 95678, 95683, 95693, 95742, 95746, 95811, 95814, 95815, 95816, 95817, 95819, 95820, 95821, 95824, 95825, 95826, 95827, 95828, 95829, 95830, 95838, 95841, 95842, 95843, 95864. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Elk Grove, California: frost not every year (10 miles away)
- Roseville, California: frost not every year (15 miles away)
- Fairfield, 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.