USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 95437 — Fort Bragg, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Bragg 5 N, CA (123 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Fort Bragg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 272 days (NOAA, Fort Bragg 5 N, CA).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 272 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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Bragg
Half of springs at Fort Bragg 5 N, CA see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by January 8, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 6 10%. The 35 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 71% 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 9 one year in ten, and holds off past January 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around December 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 21, 44 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 272 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 323 days one year in ten and falls short of 234 one year in ten. On average 12 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 45 days longer, to about April 16, and return around November 6. A 24°F night is unusual: 3% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 11 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 30 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 18 | Mar 28 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F55% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 25 | Feb 5 | Feb 21 |
| 24°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 23 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 9 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 22 | Jan 11 |
| 28°F55% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 16 | Feb 4 |
| 24°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Bragg 5 N, 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 95437 →Compare Fort Bragg with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Bragg
August is the warmest month at Fort Bragg 5 N, CA, averaging 65°F by day and 50°F at night; December is the coldest at 52°F and 40°F. From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 56% of years and March still brings one in 41% of years and April still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,186 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 283 California stations. 29% of them (349) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 231. Precipitation totals 43.4 inches a year, most in December (8.7") and least in July (0.1"); May to September bring 6% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 40 | 7.7 | 65% | 3 | 13 |
| Feb | 54 | 41 | 7.3 | 56% | 3 | 19 |
| Mar | 55 | 41 | 6.4 | 41% | 1 | 25 |
| Apr | 57 | 42 | 3.6 | 16% | 1 | 43 |
| May | 60 | 45 | 1.6 | 0% | 0 | 93 |
| Jun | 63 | 47 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 156 |
| Jul | 65 | 49 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 217 |
| Aug | 65 | 50 | 0.1 | 1% | 0 | 231 |
| Sep | 65 | 49 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 202 |
| Oct | 62 | 46 | 2.3 | 1% | 0 | 130 |
| Nov | 56 | 43 | 4.6 | 43% | 1 | 44 |
| Dec | 52 | 40 | 8.7 | 68% | 4 | 13 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Bragg 5 N, CA (123 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, Willits 1 NE, CA, 22 miles east of Fort Bragg and 1,230 feet higher, has a last frost 64 days later (May 5), a first frost 53 days earlier (October 9), a season 115 days shorter.
When it snows in Fort Bragg, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Fort Bragg 5 N, CA, 5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95437
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 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 95437 is 5 miles from Fort Bragg 5 N, CA, which stands at 123 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95437 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.