Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Tulare, CA
Tulare, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 23 and its first of fall around December 13 — a 328-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 29 (prior winter) | Jan 8 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 23 | Dec 13 |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 27 | Nov 27 |
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: 328 days median, at least 289 in 9 years of 10, at least 359 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 2 and first of Dec 25.
Tulare planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 23) and median first frost (Dec 13) 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 31 | Dec 26 | Apr 15 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 23 | Feb 22 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 9 | Jan 9 | Feb 23 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 26 | Feb 6 | Apr 7 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 15 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 14 | Feb 6 | May 12 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 15 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 20 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 20 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 9 | Jan 9 | Mar 20 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 12 | Jan 30 | Apr 10 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 12 | Jan 30 | Apr 15 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 12 | Jan 30 | Apr 20 | 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 Tulare grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Tulare container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Tulare frost questions
When is the last frost in Tulare, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at VISALIA, CA is January 23: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 27; nine years in ten, it comes after December 29 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Tulare, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 13. One year in ten it arrives before November 27; nine years in ten, before January 8 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Tulare, CA?
328 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 289 days; one year in ten, at least 359 days.
What growing zone is Tulare, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 93274. 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 Tulare, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 12 and transplant around Jan 30, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 27. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 15.
When should I plant peppers in Tulare, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 28; transplant no earlier than Jan 30, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 15.
Nearby in California
- Visalialast frost Jan 23
- Portervillelast frost Feb 20
- Hanfordlast frost Feb 7
- Delanolast frost Jan 31
- Clovislast frost Jan 14
- Fresnolast frost Jan 14
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →