Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Chico, CA
Chico, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 4 and its first of fall around November 17 — a 257-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Feb 8 | Dec 5 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 4 | Nov 17 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 2 | Nov 1 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 257 days median, at least 223 in 9 years of 10, at least 290 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Feb 5 and first of Dec 3.
Chico planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 4) and median first frost (Nov 17) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Dec 10 | Feb 4 | May 25 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 4 | Apr 3 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 18 | Feb 18 | Apr 4 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 4 | Mar 18 | May 17 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 25 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 24 | Mar 18 | Jun 21 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 25 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 30 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 30 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 18 | Feb 18 | Apr 29 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 21 | Mar 11 | May 20 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 21 | Mar 11 | May 25 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 21 | Mar 11 | May 30 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Chico grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Chico container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Chico frost questions
When is the last frost in Chico, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at CHICO UNIV FARM, CA is March 4: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 2; nine years in ten, it comes after February 8. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Chico, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 17. One year in ten it arrives before November 1; nine years in ten, before December 5.
How long is the growing season in Chico, CA?
257 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 223 days; one year in ten, at least 290 days.
What growing zone is Chico, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95926. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Chico, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 21 and transplant around Mar 11, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 2. First ripe fruit lands around May 25.
When should I plant peppers in Chico, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 7; transplant no earlier than Mar 11, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 25.
Nearby in California
- Yuba Citylast frost Feb 11
- Reddinglast frost Mar 3
- Lincolnlast frost Feb 25
- Rocklinlast frost Feb 25
- Rosevillelast frost Feb 25
- Woodlandlast frost Feb 7
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →