USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 93631 — Kingsburg, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hanford Municipal Airport, CA (249 ft), 14 miles south.
Updated
In Kingsburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 20 in half of years and has passed by March 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 23, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 276 days (NOAA, Hanford Municipal Airport, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 20
- First fall frost
- November 23
- Growing season
- 276 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kingsburg
Half of springs at Hanford Municipal Airport, CA see their last 32°F night by February 20; only one in ten is past it by January 18, and one in ten still has one after March 21. Planting tender crops after March 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 9 20%, and after March 21 10%. The 29 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 52% 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 November 23 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around December 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 18, 31 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 276 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 314 days one year in ten and falls short of 239 one year in ten. On average 31 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 March 25, and return around November 9. A 24°F night is unusual: 46% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Jan 18 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 21 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 24 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 12 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 9 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hanford Municipal Airport, 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 93631 →Compare Kingsburg with another place →
Weather by month in Kingsburg
July is the warmest month at Hanford Municipal Airport, CA, averaging 98°F by day and 64°F at night; December is the coldest at 57°F and 35°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 73% of years and March still brings one in 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,283 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 73% of the 283 California stations. 39% of them (2,045) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 964. Precipitation totals 8.2 inches a year, most in January (1.6") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 6% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 37 | 1.6 | 87% | 9 | 27 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 1.4 | 73% | 5 | 72 |
| Mar | 70 | 44 | 1.5 | 28% | 1 | 216 |
| Apr | 76 | 47 | 0.7 | 5% | 0 | 354 |
| May | 85 | 54 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Jun | 93 | 60 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Jul | 98 | 64 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Aug | 97 | 62 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Sep | 92 | 57 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Oct | 81 | 49 | 0.5 | 5% | <1 | 453 |
| Nov | 67 | 40 | 0.6 | 71% | 4 | 129 |
| Dec | 57 | 35 | 1.4 | 90% | 12 | 22 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hanford Municipal Airport, CA (249 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, Hanford 1 S, CA, 14 miles south of Kingsburg, has a last frost 13 days earlier (February 7), a first frost 8 days later (December 1), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Kingsburg, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hanford 1 S, CA, 14.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93631
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 12 – December 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 26 – January 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 23 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 93631 is 14 miles from Hanford Municipal Airport, CA, which stands at 249 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93631 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.