USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 96134 — Tulelake, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tulelake, CA (4,038 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Tulelake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 6 in half of years and has passed by June 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 14, as early as August 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 97 days (NOAA, Tulelake, CA).
- Last spring frost
- June 6
- First fall frost
- September 14
- Growing season
- 97 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 22
- Last snow
- April 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 22.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tulelake
Half of springs at Tulelake, CA see their last 32°F night by June 6; only one in ten is past it by May 18, and one in ten still has one after June 23. Planting tender crops after June 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 18 20%, and after June 23 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 96% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 14 in half of years, as early as August 30 one year in ten, and holds off past September 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around September 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 7, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 97 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 119 days one year in ten and falls short of 75 one year in ten. On average 182 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 6 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 18 | May 25 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 9 | Jun 13 | Jun 18 | Jun 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 29 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 26 | Jun 1 | Jun 7 |
| 24°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 28 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Aug 30 | Sep 4 | Sep 8 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 |
| 28°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 |
| 24°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 20°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 8 |
| 16°F | Oct 19 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tulelake, 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 96134 →Compare Tulelake with another place →
Weather by month in Tulelake
July is the warmest month at Tulelake, CA, averaging 86°F by day and 47°F at night; December is the coldest at 41°F and 20°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from September to May (a 90% chance or more). July is the only month with under a 10% chance of a 32°F night. In spring, June still brings one in 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,779 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 283 California stations. 26% of them (470) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 519. Precipitation totals 10.7 inches a year, most in December (1.5") and least in July (0.2"); May to September bring 26% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 21 | 1.3 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Feb | 47 | 23 | 1.1 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Mar | 53 | 26 | 1.2 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Apr | 59 | 30 | 1.0 | 100% | 20 | 27 |
| May | 69 | 37 | 1.1 | 99% | 8 | 147 |
| Jun | 77 | 42 | 0.8 | 67% | 2 | 294 |
| Jul | 86 | 47 | 0.2 | 2% | 0 | 519 |
| Aug | 86 | 44 | 0.3 | 12% | <1 | 464 |
| Sep | 79 | 38 | 0.4 | 96% | 5 | 263 |
| Oct | 66 | 30 | 0.7 | 100% | 19 | 60 |
| Nov | 50 | 25 | 1.1 | 100% | 23 | 3 |
| Dec | 41 | 20 | 1.5 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tulelake, CA (4,038 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, Klamath Falls International Airport, OR, 24 miles northwest of Tulelake, has a last frost 3 days later (June 9), a first frost 4 days later (September 18), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Tulelake, California
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Tulelake usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tulelake, CA, 6.2 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 54 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 96134
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 28 – April 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 9 – May 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| June 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by August 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 14 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 96134 is 6 miles from Tulelake, CA, which stands at 4,038 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 96134 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.