USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 93667 — Tollhouse, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Auberry 2 NW, CA (2,090 ft), 11 miles northwest.
Updated
In Tollhouse, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 3, as early as November 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 253 days (NOAA, Auberry 2 NW, CA).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- December 3
- Growing season
- 253 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tollhouse
Half of springs at Auberry 2 NW, CA see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by February 5, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 22 10%. The 28 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 60% 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 3 in half of years, as early as November 14 one year in ten, and holds off past December 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 21 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 253 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 305 days one year in ten and falls short of 214 one year in ten. On average 23 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 23 days longer, to about April 17, and return around November 17. A 24°F night is unusual: 30% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 2 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 5 | Feb 20 | Mar 4 | Mar 15 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 7 | Feb 23 | Mar 12 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 32°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
| 28°F90% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 26 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Auberry 2 NW, 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 93667 →Compare Tollhouse with another place →
Weather by month in Tollhouse
July is the warmest month at Auberry 2 NW, CA, averaging 94°F by day and 68°F at night; December is the coldest at 54°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 72% of years and March still brings one in 56% of years and April still brings one in 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,836 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 283 California stations. 33% of them (1,599) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 972. Precipitation totals 25.1 inches a year, most in January (5.3") and least in August (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 | 54 | 37 | 5.3 | 96% | 6 | 24 |
| Feb | 57 | 39 | 4.4 | 72% | 4 | 46 |
| Mar | 62 | 42 | 4.1 | 56% | 2 | 120 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 2.1 | 38% | 1 | 223 |
| May | 77 | 53 | 1.0 | 5% | <1 | 469 |
| Jun | 87 | 61 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Jul | 94 | 68 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Aug | 93 | 67 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Sep | 88 | 62 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 1.2 | 2% | 0 | 435 |
| Nov | 62 | 43 | 2.2 | 43% | 2 | 126 |
| Dec | 54 | 37 | 4.3 | 93% | 8 | 19 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Auberry 2 NW, CA (2,090 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, Friant Government Camp, CA, 18 miles west of Tollhouse and 1,680 feet lower, has a last frost 16 days earlier (March 9), a first frost 2 days earlier (December 1), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Tollhouse, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pine Flat Dam, CA, 11.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93667
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 3 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 93667 is 11 miles from Auberry 2 NW, CA, which stands at 2,090 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 93602 (Auberry). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93667 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.