USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 95616 — Davis, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, CA (60 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Davis, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 10 in half of years and has passed by March 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 295 days (NOAA, Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 10
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 295 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 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Davis
Half of springs at Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, CA see their last 32°F night by February 10; only one in ten is past it by December 31, and one in ten still has one after March 11. Planting tender crops after February 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 2 20%, and after March 11 10%. The 29 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 52% 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 13 one year in ten, and holds off past December 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 8, 31 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 295 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 334 days one year in ten and falls short of 256 one year in ten. On average 18 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 40 days longer, to about March 22, and return around November 16. A 24°F night is unusual: 26% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 22 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 |
| 28°F73% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 8 |
| 24°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 27 |
| 28°F73% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 18 |
| 24°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, 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 95616 →Compare Davis with another place →
Weather by month in Davis
July is the warmest month at Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, CA, averaging 93°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 38°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 50% of years and March still brings one in 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,562 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 283 California stations. 38% of them (1,724) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 784. Precipitation totals 19.2 inches a year, most in January (4.0") 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 | 56 | 38 | 4.0 | 74% | 6 | 19 |
| Feb | 61 | 41 | 3.9 | 50% | 2 | 68 |
| Mar | 66 | 44 | 2.7 | 19% | <1 | 175 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 1.2 | 3% | <1 | 290 |
| May | 81 | 52 | 0.7 | 0% | 0 | 507 |
| Jun | 89 | 56 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Jul | 93 | 57 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 784 |
| Aug | 93 | 56 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 761 |
| Sep | 90 | 55 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 669 |
| Oct | 80 | 50 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 458 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 1.8 | 46% | 2 | 143 |
| Dec | 56 | 38 | 3.7 | 82% | 8 | 23 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, CA (60 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, Woodland 1 WNW, CA, 10 miles north of Davis, has a last frost 3 days earlier (February 7), a first frost 4 days later (December 5), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Davis, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, CA, 2.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95616
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 2 – December 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 16 – December 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 13 – January 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 10 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 95616 is 2 miles from Davis 2 WSW Exp Farm, CA, which stands at 60 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 95616 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.