USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 95835 — Sacramento, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sacramento Metro Airport, CA (23 ft), 4 miles northwest.
Updated
In Sacramento, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 22 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 277 days (NOAA, Sacramento Metro Airport, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 22
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 277 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 Sacramento
Half of springs at Sacramento Metro Airport, CA see their last 32°F night by February 22; only one in ten is past it by January 10, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 38 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 81% 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 24 in half of years, as early as November 9 one year in ten, and holds off past December 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 19, 41 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 277 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 324 days one year in ten and falls short of 236 one year in ten. On average 23 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 1, and return around November 10. A 24°F night is unusual: 35% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 27 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 17 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F81% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 19 |
| 24°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 21 |
| 28°F81% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 3 | Jan 18 |
| 24°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sacramento Metro 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 95835 →Compare Sacramento with another place →
Weather by month in Sacramento
July is the warmest month at Sacramento Metro Airport, CA, averaging 94°F by day and 59°F at night; December is the coldest at 55°F and 37°F. From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 59% of years and March still brings one in 29% of years and April still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,482 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 283 California stations. 37% of them (1,674) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 815. Precipitation totals 17.9 inches a year, most in January (3.7") 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 | 55 | 38 | 3.7 | 82% | 8 | 18 |
| Feb | 60 | 40 | 3.5 | 59% | 3 | 59 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 2.6 | 29% | 1 | 152 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 1.2 | 10% | <1 | 269 |
| May | 81 | 52 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 502 |
| Jun | 89 | 56 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 674 |
| Jul | 94 | 59 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 815 |
| Aug | 92 | 58 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Sep | 89 | 55 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Oct | 79 | 48 | 0.8 | 3% | 0 | 417 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 1.8 | 64% | 3 | 116 |
| Dec | 55 | 37 | 3.3 | 81% | 9 | 20 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sacramento Metro Airport, CA (23 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, Sacramento 5 ESE, CA, 9 miles southeast of Sacramento, has a last frost 41 days earlier (January 12), a first frost 22 days later (December 16), a season 64 days longer.
When it snows in Sacramento, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sacramento 5 ESE, CA, 9.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95835
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 14 – December 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 28 – January 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 24 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 95835 is 4 miles from Sacramento Metro Airport, CA, which stands at 23 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 95747 (Roseville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95835 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.