USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 95330 — Lathrop, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stockton Metro Airport, CA (26 ft), 6 miles northeast.
Updated
In Lathrop, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 6 in half of years and has passed by February 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 304 days (NOAA, Stockton Metro Airport, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 6
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 304 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lathrop
Half of springs at Stockton Metro Airport, CA see their last 32°F night by February 6; only one in ten is past it by December 31, and one in ten still has one after February 28. Planting tender crops after February 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 23 20%, and after February 28 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 81% 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 1 in half of years, as early as November 15 one year in ten, and holds off past December 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 5, 23 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 304 days in a typical year, longer than at 66% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 339 days one year in ten and falls short of 271 one year in ten. On average 19 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 32 days longer, to about March 10, and return around November 18. A 24°F night is unusual: 30% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 11 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 |
| 28°F77% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 26 |
| 28°F77% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stockton Metro 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 95330 →Compare Lathrop with another place →
Weather by month in Lathrop
July is the warmest month at Stockton Metro Airport, CA, averaging 95°F by day and 61°F at night; December is the coldest at 57°F and 38°F. From March to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,040 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 283 California stations. 38% of them (1,926) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 873. Precipitation totals 13.5 inches a year, most in January (2.7") 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 | 39 | 2.7 | 78% | 7 | 35 |
| Feb | 63 | 41 | 2.5 | 54% | 2 | 88 |
| Mar | 69 | 44 | 1.9 | 9% | <1 | 204 |
| Apr | 75 | 47 | 1.1 | 0% | <1 | 330 |
| May | 83 | 53 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Jun | 90 | 58 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 720 |
| Jul | 95 | 61 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Aug | 94 | 60 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Sep | 90 | 58 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 719 |
| Oct | 80 | 51 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 479 |
| Nov | 67 | 43 | 1.4 | 49% | 2 | 159 |
| Dec | 57 | 38 | 2.4 | 84% | 8 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stockton Metro Airport, CA (26 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, Tracy Carbona, CA, 10 miles south of Lathrop, has a last frost 19 days later (February 25), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 26), a season 32 days shorter.
When it snows in Lathrop, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Tracy Carbona, CA, 9.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95330
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 28 – December 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 12 – December 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 9 – January 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 1 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 95330 is 6 miles from Stockton Metro Airport, CA, which stands at 26 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 95206 (Stockton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95330 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.