Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Davis, CA
Davis, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 10 and its first of fall around December 1 — a 295-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 | Dec 31 (prior winter) | Dec 27 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 10 | Dec 1 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 11 | Nov 13 |
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: 295 days median, at least 256 in 9 years of 10, at least 334 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 Jan 6 and first of Dec 18.
Davis planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 10) and median first frost (Dec 1) 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) | Nov 18 | Jan 13 | May 3 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 10 | Mar 12 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 27 | Jan 27 | Mar 13 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 13 | Feb 24 | Apr 25 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 16 | Feb 17 | May 3 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 2 | Feb 24 | May 30 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 16 | Feb 17 | May 3 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 16 | Feb 17 | May 8 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 16 | Feb 17 | May 8 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 27 | Jan 27 | Apr 7 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 30 | Feb 17 | Apr 28 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 30 | Feb 17 | May 3 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 30 | Feb 17 | May 8 | 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 Davis grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Davis container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Davis frost questions
When is the last frost in Davis, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at DAVIS 2 WSW EXP FARM, CA is February 10: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 11; nine years in ten, it comes after December 31 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Davis, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 1. One year in ten it arrives before November 13; nine years in ten, before December 27.
How long is the growing season in Davis, CA?
295 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 256 days; one year in ten, at least 334 days.
What growing zone is Davis, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95618. 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 Davis, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 30 and transplant around Feb 17, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 11. First ripe fruit lands around May 3.
When should I plant peppers in Davis, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 16; transplant no earlier than Feb 17, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 3.
Nearby in California
- Woodlandlast frost Feb 7
- West Sacramentolast frost Feb 2
- Sacramentolast frost Jan 12
- Vacavillelast frost Feb 18
- Elk Grovelast frost Feb 2
- Fairfieldlast frost Jan 15
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →