USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 95453 — Lakeport, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ukiah Municipal Airport, CA (601 ft), 16 miles west.
Updated
In Lakeport, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 259 days (NOAA, Ukiah Municipal Airport, CA).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 259 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lakeport
Half of springs at Ukiah Municipal Airport, CA see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by January 29, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 29 20%, and after April 7 10%. The 33 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 61% 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 November 21 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 28, 38 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 259 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 300 days one year in ten and falls short of 221 one year in ten. On average 36 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 38 days longer, to about April 12, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 59% of winters and 16°F in 2%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Jan 29 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 | Mar 29 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| 24°F59% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Jan 8 |
| 24°F59% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ukiah Municipal 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 95453 →Compare Lakeport with another place →
Weather by month in Lakeport
July is the warmest month at Ukiah Municipal Airport, CA, averaging 94°F by day and 56°F at night; December is the coldest at 57°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in December (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 75% of years and March still brings one in 50% of years and April still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,991 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 283 California stations. 34% of them (1,368) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 777. Precipitation totals 34.9 inches a year, most in December (6.9") 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 | 58 | 37 | 6.7 | 85% | 10 | 29 |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 6.3 | 75% | 7 | 59 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 5.3 | 50% | 2 | 122 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 2.6 | 16% | 1 | 193 |
| May | 78 | 48 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 396 |
| Jun | 86 | 52 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 569 |
| Jul | 94 | 56 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Aug | 94 | 55 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 749 |
| Sep | 89 | 51 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 594 |
| Oct | 79 | 45 | 1.8 | 8% | <1 | 375 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.5 | 72% | 5 | 108 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 6.9 | 90% | 11 | 21 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ukiah Municipal Airport, CA (601 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, Ukiah, CA, 17 miles northwest of Lakeport, has a last frost 14 days later (March 19), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 20), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Lakeport, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ukiah, CA, 16.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95453
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 95453 is 16 miles from Ukiah Municipal Airport, CA, which stands at 601 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95453 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.