Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Porterville, CA
Porterville, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 20 and its first of fall around November 30 — a 284-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 20 | Dec 21 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 20 | Nov 30 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 26 | 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: 284 days median, at least 243 in 9 years of 10, at least 320 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 20 and first of Dec 14.
Porterville planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 20) and median first frost (Nov 30) 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 28 | Jan 23 | May 13 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 20 | Mar 22 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 6 | Feb 6 | Mar 23 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 23 | Mar 6 | May 5 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 13 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 12 | Mar 6 | Jun 9 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 13 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 18 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 26 | Feb 27 | May 18 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 6 | Feb 6 | Apr 17 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 9 | Feb 27 | May 8 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 9 | Feb 27 | May 13 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 9 | Feb 27 | May 18 | 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 Porterville grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Porterville container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Porterville frost questions
When is the last frost in Porterville, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at LINDSAY, CA is February 20: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 26; nine years in ten, it comes after January 20. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Porterville, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 30. One year in ten it arrives before November 15; nine years in ten, before December 21.
How long is the growing season in Porterville, CA?
284 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 243 days; one year in ten, at least 320 days.
What growing zone is Porterville, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 93267. 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 Porterville, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 9 and transplant around Feb 27, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 26. First ripe fruit lands around May 13.
When should I plant peppers in Porterville, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 26; transplant no earlier than Feb 27, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 13.
Nearby in California
- Tularelast frost Jan 23
- Delanolast frost Jan 31
- Visalialast frost Jan 23
- Hanfordlast frost Feb 7
- Bakersfieldlast frost Jan 31
- Clovislast frost Jan 14
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →