Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Turlock, CA
Turlock, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 6 and its first of fall around December 20 — a 351-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 14 (prior winter) | Jan 16 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 6 | Dec 20 |
| 1 year in 10 | Jan 31 | Dec 3 |
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: 351 days median, at least 325 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. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Dec 30 (prior winter) and first of Dec 24.
Turlock planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 6) and median first frost (Dec 20) 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 14 | Dec 9 | Mar 29 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 6 | Feb 5 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Dec 23 | Dec 23 | Feb 6 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 9 | Jan 20 | Mar 21 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Mar 29 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Oct 28 | Jan 20 | Apr 25 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Mar 29 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Apr 3 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Apr 3 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Dec 23 | Dec 23 | Mar 3 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Nov 25 | Jan 13 | Mar 24 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Nov 25 | Jan 13 | Mar 29 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Nov 25 | Jan 13 | Apr 3 | 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 Turlock grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Turlock container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Turlock frost questions
When is the last frost in Turlock, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at TURLOCK #2, CA is January 6: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after January 31; nine years in ten, it comes after December 14 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Turlock, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 20. One year in ten it arrives before December 3; nine years in ten, before January 16 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Turlock, CA?
351 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 325 days; one year in ten, no freeze at all.
What growing zone is Turlock, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95382. 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 Turlock, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Nov 25 and transplant around Jan 13, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Jan 31. First ripe fruit lands around Mar 29.
When should I plant peppers in Turlock, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 11; transplant no earlier than Jan 13, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Mar 29.
Nearby in California
- Cereslast frost Jan 31
- Modestolast frost Jan 31
- Mercedlast frost Mar 3
- Mantecalast frost Feb 6
- Los Banoslast frost Jan 26
- Tracylast frost Jan 19
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →