USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 93644 — Oakhurst, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA (5,047 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Oakhurst, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 24 in half of years and has passed by June 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 137 days (NOAA, So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA).
- Last spring frost
- May 24
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 137 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 Oakhurst
Half of springs at So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA see their last 32°F night by May 24; only one in ten is past it by May 3, and one in ten still has one after June 11. Planting tender crops after June 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 5 20%, and after June 11 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 93% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 10 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 29, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 137 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 163 days one year in ten and falls short of 112 one year in ten. On average 159 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 15 days longer, to about June 8, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between December 17 and February 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 23 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 5 | Jun 8 | Jun 11 | Jun 15 | Jun 19 | Jun 26 |
| 32°F | May 3 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 | May 24 | May 30 | Jun 1 | Jun 5 | Jun 11 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 13 | May 19 | May 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 29 | May 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 13 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 24 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 12 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 7 | Sep 14 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 12 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at So Entrance Yosemite Np, 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 93644 →Compare Oakhurst with another place →
Weather by month in Oakhurst
July is the warmest month at So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA, averaging 80°F by day and 51°F at night; December is the coldest at 44°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 90% of years and June still brings one in 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,747 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 283 California stations. 23% of them (398) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 477. Precipitation totals 37.2 inches a year, most in January (7.6") and least in August (0.1"); May to September bring 9% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 7.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Feb | 46 | 27 | 6.7 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 5.2 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Apr | 55 | 31 | 3.4 | 100% | 19 | 17 |
| May | 63 | 37 | 1.9 | 90% | 8 | 106 |
| Jun | 73 | 44 | 0.5 | 33% | 2 | 271 |
| Jul | 80 | 51 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 477 |
| Aug | 80 | 49 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 453 |
| Sep | 75 | 45 | 0.5 | 22% | 1 | 302 |
| Oct | 64 | 37 | 2.2 | 87% | 7 | 103 |
| Nov | 53 | 30 | 3.3 | 100% | 19 | 14 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 5.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA (5,047 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, N Fk Rs, CA, 12 miles south of Oakhurst and 2,402 feet lower, has a last frost 30 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 25 days later (November 4), a season 55 days longer.
When it snows in Oakhurst, 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, 13.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93644
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 15 – March 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 26 – May 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 93644 is 8 miles from So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA, which stands at 5,047 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 95338 (Mariposa). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93644 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.