USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 93311 — Bakersfield, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Taft, CA (773 ft), 15 miles west.
Updated
In Bakersfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around January 24 in half of years and has passed by March 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 17, as early as December 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 330 days (NOAA, Taft, CA).
- Last spring frost
- January 24
- First fall frost
- December 17
- Growing season
- 330 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bakersfield
Half of springs at Taft, CA see their last 32°F night by January 24; only one in ten is past it by December 25, and one in ten still has one after March 12. Planting tender crops after February 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 23 20%, and after March 12 10%. The 47 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 96% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 17 in half of years, as early as December 1 one year in ten, and holds off past January 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F is less common: it came in 44% of winters. The freeze-free season lasts 330 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 363 days one year in ten and falls short of 279 one year in ten. On average 7 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 33 days longer, to about February 26, and return around December 3. A 24°F night is unusual: 4% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 | Mar 18 | Mar 29 | Apr 8 |
| 32°F91% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 23 | Mar 12 |
| 28°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 |
| 32°F91% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 |
| 28°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Taft, CA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 93311 →Compare Bakersfield with another place →
Weather by month in Bakersfield
July is the warmest month at Taft, CA, averaging 99°F by day and 68°F at night; December is the coldest at 59°F and 41°F. From April to November the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 25% of years and March still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,940 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 283 California stations. 38% of them (2,279) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,031. Precipitation totals 6.0 inches a year, most in February (1.2") and least in June (0.0"); May to September bring 8% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 41 | 1.1 | 63% | 2 | 67 |
| Feb | 63 | 44 | 1.2 | 25% | 1 | 120 |
| Mar | 70 | 48 | 1.0 | 10% | <1 | 292 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 0.6 | 3% | <1 | 386 |
| May | 84 | 56 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Jun | 93 | 60 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Jul | 99 | 68 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 1031 |
| Aug | 98 | 66 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 989 |
| Sep | 92 | 62 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Oct | 81 | 54 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 544 |
| Nov | 67 | 47 | 0.4 | 8% | <1 | 216 |
| Dec | 59 | 41 | 0.9 | 66% | 3 | 65 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Taft, CA (773 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Bakersfield 5 NW, CA, 17 miles northeast of Bakersfield and 303 feet lower, has a last frost 7 days later (January 31), a first frost 9 days earlier (December 8), a season 18 days shorter.
When it snows in Bakersfield, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Taft, CA, 14.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93311
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 15 – November 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| November 29 – December 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| December 27 – January 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| January 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 17 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 93311 is 15 miles from Taft, CA, which stands at 773 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93311 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across California →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.