Frost dates · USDA zone 9a
Frost dates for Merced, CA
Merced, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 3 and its first of fall around November 24 — a 263-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 | Feb 2 | Dec 14 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 3 | Nov 24 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 10 | Nov 5 |
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: 263 days median, at least 226 in 9 years of 10, at least 303 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 Feb 2 and first of Dec 11.
Merced planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 3) and median first frost (Nov 24) 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) | Dec 9 | Feb 3 | May 24 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 3 | Apr 2 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 17 | Feb 17 | Apr 3 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 3 | Mar 17 | May 16 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 24 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 23 | Mar 17 | Jun 20 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 24 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 29 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 6 | Mar 10 | May 29 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 17 | Feb 17 | Apr 28 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 20 | Mar 10 | May 19 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 20 | Mar 10 | May 24 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 20 | Mar 10 | May 29 | 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 Merced grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Merced container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Merced frost questions
When is the last frost in Merced, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at MERCED, CA is March 3: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 10; nine years in ten, it comes after February 2. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Merced, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 24. One year in ten it arrives before November 5; nine years in ten, before December 14.
How long is the growing season in Merced, CA?
263 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 226 days; one year in ten, at least 303 days.
What growing zone is Merced, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95340. 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 Merced, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 20 and transplant around Mar 10, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 10. First ripe fruit lands around May 24.
When should I plant peppers in Merced, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 6; transplant no earlier than Mar 10, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 24.
Nearby in California
- Turlocklast frost Jan 6
- Los Banoslast frost Jan 26
- Maderalast frost Feb 12
- Cereslast frost Jan 31
- Modestolast frost Jan 31
- Fresnolast frost Jan 14
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →