Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Hollister, CA
Hollister, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 19 and its first of fall around December 1 — a 287-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 10 | Dec 25 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 19 | Dec 1 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 28 | Nov 12 |
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: 287 days median, at least 247 in 9 years of 10, at least 328 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 16 and first of Dec 14.
Hollister planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 19) 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 27 | Jan 22 | May 12 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 19 | Mar 21 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 5 | Feb 5 | Mar 22 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 22 | Mar 5 | May 4 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 25 | Feb 26 | May 12 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 11 | Mar 5 | Jun 8 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 25 | Feb 26 | May 12 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 25 | Feb 26 | May 17 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 25 | Feb 26 | May 17 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 5 | Feb 5 | Apr 16 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 8 | Feb 26 | May 7 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 8 | Feb 26 | May 12 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 8 | Feb 26 | May 17 | 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 Hollister grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Hollister container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Hollister frost questions
When is the last frost in Hollister, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at HOLLISTER 2, CA is February 19: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 28; nine years in ten, it comes after January 10. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Hollister, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 1. One year in ten it arrives before November 12; nine years in ten, before December 25.
How long is the growing season in Hollister, CA?
287 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 247 days; one year in ten, at least 328 days.
What growing zone is Hollister, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95023. 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 Hollister, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 8 and transplant around Feb 26, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 28. First ripe fruit lands around May 12.
When should I plant peppers in Hollister, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 25; transplant no earlier than Feb 26, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 12.
Nearby in California
- Gilroylast frost Feb 24
- Salinaslast frost Jan 29
- Watsonvillelast frost Jan 31
- Morgan Hilllast frost Feb 24
- Los Banoslast frost Jan 26
- Santa Cruzlast frost Jan 29
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →