Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Elk Grove, CA
Elk Grove, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 2 and its first of fall around December 2 — a 301-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 | Jan 2 | Jan 2 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 2 | Dec 2 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 5 | Nov 16 |
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: 301 days median, at least 266 in 9 years of 10, at least 338 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 4 and first of Dec 16.
Elk Grove planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 2) and median first frost (Dec 2) 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 10 | Jan 5 | Apr 25 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 2 | Mar 4 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 19 | Jan 19 | Mar 5 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 5 | Feb 16 | Apr 17 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 25 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 24 | Feb 16 | May 22 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 25 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 30 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 8 | Feb 9 | Apr 30 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 19 | Jan 19 | Mar 30 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 22 | Feb 9 | Apr 20 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 22 | Feb 9 | Apr 25 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 22 | Feb 9 | Apr 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 Elk Grove grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Elk Grove container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Elk Grove frost questions
When is the last frost in Elk Grove, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE AP, CA is February 2: 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 January 2. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Elk Grove, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 2. One year in ten it arrives before November 16; nine years in ten, before January 2 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Elk Grove, CA?
301 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 266 days; one year in ten, at least 338 days.
What growing zone is Elk Grove, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95758. 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 Elk Grove, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 22 and transplant around Feb 9, 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 25.
When should I plant peppers in Elk Grove, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 8; transplant no earlier than Feb 9, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 25.
Nearby in California
- Sacramentolast frost Jan 12
- West Sacramentolast frost Feb 2
- Rancho Cordovalast frost Jan 12
- Citrus Heightslast frost Jan 12
- Lodilast frost Feb 9
- Davislast frost Feb 10
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →