USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 96088 — Shingletown, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Manzanita Lake, CA (5,750 ft), 14 miles east.
Updated
In Shingletown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 9 in half of years and has passed by June 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 21, as early as September 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 102 days (NOAA, Manzanita Lake, CA).
- Last spring frost
- June 9
- First fall frost
- September 21
- Growing season
- 102 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
- November 2
- Last snow
- May 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Shingletown
Half of springs at Manzanita Lake, CA see their last 32°F night by June 9; only one in ten is past it by May 21, and one in ten still has one after June 27. Planting tender crops after June 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 21 20%, and after June 27 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 93% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 21 in half of years, as early as September 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around October 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 10, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 102 days in a typical year, shorter than at 98% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 127 days one year in ten and falls short of 73 one year in ten. On average 195 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and April 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 21 | May 29 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 9 | Jun 12 | Jun 16 | Jun 21 | Jun 27 |
| 28°F | Apr 30 | May 6 | May 12 | May 16 | May 22 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 4 | Jun 10 |
| 24°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 | May 14 | May 23 |
| 20°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 5 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 1 | Sep 6 | Sep 11 | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 11 |
| 28°F | Sep 18 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 7 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Manzanita Lake, 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 96088 →Compare Shingletown with another place →
Weather by month in Shingletown
July is the warmest month at Manzanita Lake, CA, averaging 79°F by day and 46°F at night; December is the coldest at 40°F and 22°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 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,295 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 283 California stations. 21% of them (273) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 393.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 22 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 42 | 22 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 46 | 24 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Apr | 50 | 28 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| May | 61 | 35 | 100% | 12 | 75 |
| Jun | 70 | 41 | 74% | 3 | 193 |
| Jul | 79 | 46 | 7% | <1 | 393 |
| Aug | 78 | 45 | 9% | <1 | 361 |
| Sep | 72 | 41 | 68% | 3 | 222 |
| Oct | 59 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 45 |
| Nov | 47 | 26 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Dec | 40 | 22 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Manzanita Lake, CA (5,750 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, Redding Municipal Airport, CA, 24 miles west of Shingletown and 5,253 feet lower, has a last frost 98 days earlier (March 3), a first frost 61 days later (November 21), a season 159 days longer.
When it snows in Shingletown, California
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Shingletown usually arrives around November 2, and the last of the season around May 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Manzanita Lake, CA, 13.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 19 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 96088
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 31 – April 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 12 – May 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 21 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 96088 is 14 miles from Manzanita Lake, CA, which stands at 5,750 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 96088 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.