USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 96143 — Kings Beach, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Incline Village, NV (6,356 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In Kings Beach, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 17 in half of years and has passed by June 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 148 days (NOAA, Incline Village, NV).
- Last spring frost
- May 17
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 148 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 3
- Last snow
- May 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 179"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kings Beach
Half of springs at Incline Village, NV see their last 32°F night by May 17; only one in ten is past it by April 30, and one in ten still has one after June 4. Planting tender crops after May 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 31 20%, and after June 4 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 October 13 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 19, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 148 days in a typical year, shorter than at 92% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 171 days one year in ten and falls short of 125 one year in ten. On average 151 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 17 days longer, to about June 3, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 13 and February 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 18 | May 25 | May 30 | Jun 1 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 10 | Jun 13 | Jun 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 | May 26 | May 31 | Jun 4 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 | May 12 | May 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 22 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Incline Village, NV, 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 96143 →Compare Kings Beach with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Tahoe City, CA, 8 miles southwest of Kings Beach, has a last frost 23 days later (June 9), a first frost 18 days earlier (September 25), a season 40 days shorter.
When it snows in Kings Beach, California
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Kings Beach usually arrives around November 3, and the last of the season around May 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tahoe City, CA, 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 9 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 96143
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 8 – March 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 19 – May 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 96143 is 5 miles from Incline Village, NV, which stands at 6,356 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 89451 (Incline Village). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 96143 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.