Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Delano, CA
Delano, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 31 and its first of fall around December 8 — a 309-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 30 (prior winter) | Dec 30 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 31 | Dec 8 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 5 | Nov 23 |
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: 309 days median, at least 273 in 9 years of 10, at least 341 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 Dec 31 (prior winter) and first of Dec 19.
Delano planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 31) and median first frost (Dec 8) 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 8 | Jan 3 | Apr 23 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 31 | Mar 2 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 17 | Jan 17 | Mar 3 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 3 | Feb 14 | Apr 15 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 23 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 22 | Feb 14 | May 20 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 23 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 28 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 28 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 17 | Jan 17 | Mar 28 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 20 | Feb 7 | Apr 18 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 20 | Feb 7 | Apr 23 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 20 | Feb 7 | Apr 28 | 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 Delano grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Delano container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Delano frost questions
When is the last frost in Delano, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at DELANO, CA is January 31: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 5; nine years in ten, it comes after December 30 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Delano, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 8. One year in ten it arrives before November 23; nine years in ten, before December 30.
How long is the growing season in Delano, CA?
309 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 273 days; one year in ten, at least 341 days.
What growing zone is Delano, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 93215. 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 Delano, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 20 and transplant around Feb 7, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 5. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 23.
When should I plant peppers in Delano, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 6; transplant no earlier than Feb 7, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 23.
Nearby in California
- Portervillelast frost Feb 20
- Tularelast frost Jan 23
- Bakersfieldlast frost Jan 31
- Visalialast frost Jan 23
- Hanfordlast frost Feb 7
- Fresnolast frost Jan 14
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →