USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 96145 — Tahoe City, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tahoe City, CA (6,230 ft), under a mile south.
Updated
In Tahoe City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 9 in half of years and has passed by June 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 25, as early as September 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 108 days (NOAA, Tahoe City, CA).
- Last spring frost
- June 9
- First fall frost
- September 25
- Growing season
- 108 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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 Tahoe City
Half of springs at Tahoe City, CA see their last 32°F night by June 9; only one in ten is past it by May 26, and one in ten still has one after June 25. Planting tender crops after June 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 19 20%, and after June 25 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 98% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 25 in half of years, as early as September 9 one year in ten, and holds off past October 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around October 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 10, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 108 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 130 days one year in ten and falls short of 85 one year in ten. On average 198 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and April 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 26 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 9 | Jun 12 | Jun 15 | Jun 19 | Jun 25 |
| 28°F | May 2 | May 7 | May 13 | May 19 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 4 | Jun 10 |
| 24°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 13 | May 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 29 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 9 | Sep 14 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 |
| 28°F | Sep 23 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 11 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tahoe City, 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 96145 →Compare Tahoe City with another place →
Weather by month in Tahoe City
July is the warmest month at Tahoe City, CA, averaging 78°F by day and 46°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 21°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 78% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,167 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 283 California stations. 19% of them (220) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 373. Precipitation totals 33.3 inches a year, most in January (6.2") and least in July (0.2"); May to September bring 9% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 21 | 6.2 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 41 | 21 | 5.7 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 45 | 24 | 5.0 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Apr | 50 | 28 | 2.2 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| May | 59 | 34 | 1.6 | 100% | 12 | 45 |
| Jun | 69 | 40 | 0.6 | 78% | 3 | 173 |
| Jul | 78 | 46 | 0.2 | 5% | 0 | 373 |
| Aug | 77 | 45 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 354 |
| Sep | 70 | 41 | 0.4 | 66% | 2 | 187 |
| Oct | 59 | 33 | 1.9 | 100% | 15 | 32 |
| Nov | 48 | 26 | 3.2 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Dec | 40 | 21 | 6.0 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tahoe City, CA (6,230 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, Incline Village, NV, 12 miles northeast of Tahoe City, has a last frost 23 days earlier (May 17), a first frost 18 days later (October 13), a season 40 days longer.
When it snows in Tahoe City, California
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Tahoe City 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, 0.7 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 96145
| 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 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 96145 is under a mile from Tahoe City, CA, which stands at 6,230 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 96161 (Truckee). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 96145 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.