Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Manteca, CA
Manteca, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 6 and its first of fall around December 1 — a 304-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 31 (prior winter) | Dec 26 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 6 | Dec 1 |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 28 | Nov 15 |
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: 304 days median, at least 271 in 9 years of 10, at least 339 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 10 and first of Dec 16.
Manteca planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 6) 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 14 | Jan 9 | Apr 29 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 6 | Mar 8 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 23 | Jan 23 | Mar 9 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 9 | Feb 20 | Apr 21 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 12 | Feb 13 | Apr 29 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 28 | Feb 20 | May 26 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 12 | Feb 13 | Apr 29 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 12 | Feb 13 | May 4 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 12 | Feb 13 | May 4 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 23 | Jan 23 | Apr 3 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 26 | Feb 13 | Apr 24 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 26 | Feb 13 | Apr 29 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 26 | Feb 13 | May 4 | 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 Manteca grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Manteca container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Manteca frost questions
When is the last frost in Manteca, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at STOCKTON METRO AP, CA is February 6: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 28; nine years in ten, it comes after December 31 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Manteca, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 1. One year in ten it arrives before November 15; nine years in ten, before December 26.
How long is the growing season in Manteca, CA?
304 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 271 days; one year in ten, at least 339 days.
What growing zone is Manteca, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95336. 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 Manteca, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 26 and transplant around Feb 13, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 28. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 29.
When should I plant peppers in Manteca, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 12; transplant no earlier than Feb 13, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 29.
Nearby in California
- Tracylast frost Jan 19
- Stocktonlast frost Feb 5
- Modestolast frost Jan 31
- Cereslast frost Jan 31
- Lodilast frost Feb 9
- Turlocklast frost Jan 6
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →