Frost dates · USDA zone 10a
Frost dates for Pasadena, CA
Pasadena, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 8 and its first of fall around January 7 (next year) — a 365-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 20 (prior winter) | Feb 14 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 7 (next year) |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 17 | Dec 20 |
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: 365 days median, at least 363 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.
Pasadena planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 8) and median first frost (Jan 7) 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 16 | Dec 11 | Mar 31 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 8 | Feb 7 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Dec 25 | Dec 25 | Feb 8 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 11 | Jan 22 | Mar 23 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 13 | Jan 15 | Mar 31 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Oct 30 | Jan 22 | Apr 27 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 13 | Jan 15 | Mar 31 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 13 | Jan 15 | Apr 5 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 13 | Jan 15 | Apr 5 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Dec 25 | Dec 25 | Mar 5 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Nov 27 | Jan 15 | Mar 26 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Nov 27 | Jan 15 | Mar 31 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Nov 27 | Jan 15 | Apr 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 Pasadena grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Pasadena container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Pasadena frost questions
When is the last frost in Pasadena, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at PASADENA, CA is January 8: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 17; nine years in ten, it comes after December 20 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Pasadena, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is January 7 (next year). One year in ten it arrives before December 20; nine years in ten, before February 14 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Pasadena, CA?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at PASADENA, CA in a typical year. What limits a sauce garden here is heat: peppers and tomatoes drop flowers in sustained hot nights, so plant to finish before peak summer or after it breaks.
What growing zone is Pasadena, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 10a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 91104. 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 Pasadena, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Nov 27 and transplant around Jan 15, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 17. First ripe fruit lands around Mar 31.
When should I plant peppers in Pasadena, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 13; transplant no earlier than Jan 15, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Mar 31.
Nearby in California
- Alhambralast frost Jan 4
- Arcadialast frost Jan 4
- Glendalelast frost Jan 8
- Rosemeadlast frost Jan 4
- Monterey Parklast frost Jan 4
- El Montelast frost Jan 4
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →