Frost dates · USDA zone 9a
Frost dates for Hanford, CA
Hanford, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 7 and its first of fall around December 1 — a 296-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 9 | Dec 22 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 7 | Dec 1 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 4 | 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: 296 days median, at least 263 in 9 years of 10, at least 332 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 12 and first of Dec 14.
Hanford planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 7) 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 15 | Jan 10 | Apr 30 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 7 | Mar 9 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 24 | Jan 24 | Mar 10 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 10 | Feb 21 | Apr 22 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 13 | Feb 14 | Apr 30 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 29 | Feb 21 | May 27 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 13 | Feb 14 | Apr 30 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 13 | Feb 14 | May 5 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 13 | Feb 14 | May 5 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 24 | Jan 24 | Apr 4 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 27 | Feb 14 | Apr 25 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 27 | Feb 14 | Apr 30 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 27 | Feb 14 | May 5 | 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 Hanford grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Hanford container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Hanford frost questions
When is the last frost in Hanford, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at HANFORD 1 S, CA is February 7: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 4; nine years in ten, it comes after January 9. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Hanford, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 1. One year in ten it arrives before November 16; nine years in ten, before December 22.
How long is the growing season in Hanford, CA?
296 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 263 days; one year in ten, at least 332 days.
What growing zone is Hanford, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 93202. 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 Hanford, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 27 and transplant around Feb 14, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 4. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 30.
When should I plant peppers in Hanford, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 13; transplant no earlier than Feb 14, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 30.
Nearby in California
- Visalialast frost Jan 23
- Tularelast frost Jan 23
- Fresnolast frost Jan 14
- Clovislast frost Jan 14
- Portervillelast frost Feb 20
- Delanolast frost Jan 31
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →