USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 95969 — Paradise, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Paradise, CA (1,750 ft), under a mile west.
Updated
In Paradise, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 7 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 18, as early as November 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 313 days (NOAA, Paradise, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 7
- First fall frost
- December 18
- Growing season
- 313 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
- 9%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Paradise
Half of springs at Paradise, CA see their last 32°F night by February 7; only one in ten is past it by December 27, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 10 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 53 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 100% 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 18 in half of years, as early as November 26 one year in ten, and holds off past January 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F is less common: it came in 35% of winters. The freeze-free season lasts 313 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 360 days one year in ten and falls short of 259 one year in ten. On average 7 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 52 days longer, to about March 31, and return around November 29. A 24°F night is unusual: 5% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 17 | Feb 28 | Mar 12 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F92% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 |
| 32°F92% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 27 |
| 28°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Paradise, 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 95969 →Compare Paradise with another place →
Weather by month in Paradise
July is the warmest month at Paradise, CA, averaging 91°F by day and 67°F at night; December is the coldest at 54°F and 40°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 35% of years and March still brings one in 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,682 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 283 California stations. 34% of them (1,591) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 904. Precipitation totals 56.5 inches a year, most in December (11.2") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 7% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 41 | 10.2 | 58% | 2 | 43 |
| Feb | 56 | 42 | 10.1 | 35% | 1 | 63 |
| Mar | 61 | 45 | 8.3 | 19% | <1 | 135 |
| Apr | 66 | 48 | 4.6 | 10% | <1 | 227 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 446 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 677 |
| Jul | 91 | 67 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Aug | 90 | 66 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 863 |
| Sep | 86 | 62 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 709 |
| Oct | 74 | 54 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 448 |
| Nov | 61 | 45 | 5.5 | 14% | 1 | 138 |
| Dec | 54 | 40 | 11.2 | 59% | 2 | 29 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Paradise, CA (1,750 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, De Sabla, CA, 8 miles north of Paradise and 960 feet higher, has a last frost 69 days later (April 17), a first frost 37 days earlier (November 11), a season 107 days shorter.
When it snows in Paradise, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Paradise, CA, 0.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95969
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 29 – December 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 13 – December 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 10 – January 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 18 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 95969 is under a mile from Paradise, CA, which stands at 1,750 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95969 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.