USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 95546 — Hoopa, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Orleans, CA (403 ft), 14 miles northeast.
Updated
In Hoopa, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 26, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 262 days (NOAA, Orleans, CA).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 26
- Growing season
- 262 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
- 45%
- Snow per year
- 2.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hoopa
Half of springs at Orleans, CA see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by January 26, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 9 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 November 26 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 21 days later, around December 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 3, 37 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 262 days in a typical year, shorter than at 61% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 313 days one year in ten and falls short of 220 one year in ten. On average 25 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 31 days longer, to about April 12, and return around November 5. A 24°F night is unusual: 35% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Jan 26 | Feb 14 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| 24°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% 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 17 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 31 |
| 24°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Orleans, 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 95546 →Compare Hoopa with another place →
Weather by month in Hoopa
July is the warmest month at Orleans, CA, averaging 92°F by day and 57°F at night; December is the coldest at 48°F and 37°F. From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 70% of years and March still brings one in 54% of years and April still brings one in 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,580 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 283 California stations. 34% of them (1,216) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 756. Precipitation totals 51.9 inches a year, most in December (10.5") and least in July (0.2"); May to September bring 8% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 37 | 9.4 | 83% | 8 | 4 |
| Feb | 55 | 39 | 6.9 | 70% | 5 | 22 |
| Mar | 62 | 41 | 6.4 | 54% | 2 | 91 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 4.0 | 19% | 1 | 190 |
| May | 77 | 48 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 382 |
| Jun | 83 | 52 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 528 |
| Jul | 92 | 57 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 756 |
| Aug | 91 | 56 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Sep | 86 | 52 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 559 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 3.5 | 10% | <1 | 272 |
| Nov | 56 | 42 | 6.8 | 54% | 3 | 47 |
| Dec | 48 | 37 | 10.5 | 90% | 8 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Orleans, CA (403 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, Arcata Eureka Airport, CA, 24 miles southwest of Hoopa and 203 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 8), a first frost 4 days later (November 30).
When it snows in Hoopa, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Orleans, CA, 14.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95546
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 26 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 95546 is 14 miles from Orleans, CA, which stands at 403 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95546 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.