USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 93643 — North Fork, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from N Fk Rs, CA (2,645 ft), under a mile east.
Updated
In North Fork, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, N Fk Rs, CA).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 192 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 2.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in North Fork
Half of springs at N Fk Rs, CA see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 14 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 88% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 4 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 21 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 192 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 216 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 89 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 19 days longer, to about May 13, and return around October 20. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 47%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 | May 25 | May 31 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 18 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Jan 27 | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 16 | Mar 26 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F47% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F47% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at N Fk Rs, 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 93643 →Compare North Fork with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Auberry 2 NW, CA, 10 miles south of North Fork and 555 feet lower, has a last frost 30 days earlier (March 25), a first frost 29 days later (December 3), a season 61 days longer.
When it snows in North Fork, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Coarsegold 1 SW, CA, 10.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93643
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 93643 is under a mile from N Fk Rs, CA, which stands at 2,645 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 93614 (Coarsegold). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93643 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.