Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Fresno, CA
Fresno, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 14 and its first of fall around December 14 — a 337-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 22 (prior winter) | Jan 12 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 14 | Dec 14 |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 11 | Nov 29 |
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: 337 days median, at least 305 in 9 years of 10, no freeze at all 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 1 and first of Dec 24.
Fresno planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 14) and median first frost (Dec 14) 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) | Oct 22 | Dec 17 | Apr 6 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 14 | Feb 13 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Dec 31 | Dec 31 | Feb 14 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 17 | Jan 28 | Mar 29 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 19 | Jan 21 | Apr 6 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 5 | Jan 28 | May 3 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 19 | Jan 21 | Apr 6 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 19 | Jan 21 | Apr 11 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 19 | Jan 21 | Apr 11 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Dec 31 | Dec 31 | Mar 11 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 3 | Jan 21 | Apr 1 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 3 | Jan 21 | Apr 6 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 3 | Jan 21 | Apr 11 | 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 Fresno grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Fresno container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Fresno frost questions
When is the last frost in Fresno, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL AP, CA is January 14: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 11; nine years in ten, it comes after December 22 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Fresno, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 14. One year in ten it arrives before November 29; nine years in ten, before January 12 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Fresno, CA?
337 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 305 days; one year in ten, no freeze at all.
What growing zone is Fresno, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 93704. 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 Fresno, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 3 and transplant around Jan 21, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 11. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 6.
When should I plant peppers in Fresno, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 19; transplant no earlier than Jan 21, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 6.
Nearby in California
- Clovislast frost Jan 14
- Maderalast frost Feb 12
- Hanfordlast frost Feb 7
- Visalialast frost Jan 23
- Tularelast frost Jan 23
- Mercedlast frost Mar 3
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →