USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 95425 — Cloverdale, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cloverdale, CA (400 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Cloverdale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 25 in half of years and has passed by April 2 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 279 days (NOAA, Cloverdale, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 25
- First fall frost
- December 3
- Growing season
- 279 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 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cloverdale
Half of springs at Cloverdale, CA see their last 32°F night by February 25; only one in ten is past it by January 18, and one in ten still has one after April 2. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after April 2 10%. The 36 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 75% 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 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 21, 40 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 279 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 322 days one year in ten and falls short of 235 one year in ten. On average 13 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 39 days longer, to about April 5, and return around November 14. A 24°F night is unusual: 28% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 4 | Mar 16 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 24 | Apr 2 |
| 28°F82% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 21 |
| 24°F28% 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 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 28°F82% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 18 |
| 24°F28% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cloverdale, 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 95425 →Compare Cloverdale with another place →
Weather by month in Cloverdale
July is the warmest month at Cloverdale, CA, averaging 94°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 59°F and 38°F. From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 60% of years and March still brings one in 36% of years and April still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,557 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 283 California stations. 38% of them (1,743) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 769. Precipitation totals 41.7 inches a year, most in December (8.8") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 5% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 38 | 8.1 | 87% | 4 | 44 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 8.1 | 60% | 2 | 90 |
| Mar | 68 | 42 | 5.7 | 36% | 1 | 182 |
| Apr | 74 | 45 | 2.5 | 12% | <1 | 284 |
| May | 82 | 50 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 486 |
| Jun | 89 | 54 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 657 |
| Jul | 94 | 55 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Aug | 93 | 55 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 743 |
| Sep | 90 | 54 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Oct | 81 | 49 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 458 |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 4.7 | 41% | 1 | 158 |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 8.8 | 87% | 5 | 36 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cloverdale, CA (400 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, Healdsburg, CA, 13 miles southeast of Cloverdale and 223 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (February 15), a first frost 1 day earlier (December 2), a season 13 days longer.
When it snows in Cloverdale, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cloverdale, CA, 1.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95425
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 17 – December 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 31 – January 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 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 95425 is 2 miles from Cloverdale, CA, which stands at 400 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95425 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.