USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 95971 — Quincy, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Quincy, CA (3,420 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Quincy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 22 in half of years and has passed by June 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 25, as early as September 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 122 days (NOAA, Quincy, CA).
- Last spring frost
- May 22
- First fall frost
- September 25
- Growing season
- 122 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 8
- Last snow
- March 27
- Winters with snow
- 74%
- Snow per year
- 28.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Quincy
Half of springs at Quincy, CA see their last 32°F night by May 22; only one in ten is past it by May 3, and one in ten still has one after June 14. Planting tender crops after June 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 7 20%, and after June 14 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 78% 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 September 25 in half of years, as early as September 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 21, 24 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 122 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 147 days one year in ten and falls short of 96 one year in ten. On average 143 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 1 and February 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 3 | May 8 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 | May 27 | Jun 1 | Jun 7 | Jun 14 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 12 | May 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 20°F | Feb 10 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Apr 1 | Apr 10 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 12 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 4 | Sep 11 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 |
| 28°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Nov 8 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Jan 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Quincy, 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 95971 →Compare Quincy with another place →
Weather by month in Quincy
July is the warmest month at Quincy, CA, averaging 89°F by day and 48°F at night; December is the coldest at 43°F and 25°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,100 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 92% of the 283 California stations. 28% of them (579) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 569. Precipitation totals 41.6 inches a year, most in January (7.7") and least in July (0.1"); May to September bring 8% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 25 | 7.7 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Feb | 50 | 26 | 7.6 | 100% | 22 | 1 |
| Mar | 56 | 29 | 6.7 | 100% | 21 | 6 |
| Apr | 62 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 38 |
| May | 71 | 39 | 1.9 | 92% | 3 | 177 |
| Jun | 80 | 43 | 0.7 | 31% | <1 | 357 |
| Jul | 89 | 48 | 0.1 | 2% | 0 | 569 |
| Aug | 88 | 45 | 0.1 | 6% | 0 | 515 |
| Sep | 82 | 40 | 0.4 | 66% | 1 | 337 |
| Oct | 69 | 33 | 1.9 | 100% | 14 | 97 |
| Nov | 52 | 28 | 4.1 | 100% | 20 | 4 |
| Dec | 43 | 25 | 7.3 | 100% | 24 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Quincy, CA (3,420 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, Canyon Dam, CA, 16 miles north of Quincy and 1,140 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (May 18), a first frost 13 days later (October 8), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in Quincy, California
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Quincy usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Quincy, CA, 2.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 74% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 56 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 95971
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 13 – March 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 24 – May 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 25 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 95971 is 2 miles from Quincy, CA, which stands at 3,420 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95971 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.