Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Vacaville, CA
Vacaville, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 18 and its first of fall around November 28 — a 283-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 11 | Dec 18 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 18 | Nov 28 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 25 | Nov 12 |
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: 283 days median, at least 245 in 9 years of 10, at least 325 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 15 and first of Dec 10.
Vacaville planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 18) and median first frost (Nov 28) 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 26 | Jan 21 | May 11 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 18 | Mar 20 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 4 | Feb 4 | Mar 21 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 21 | Mar 4 | May 3 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 24 | Feb 25 | May 11 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 10 | Mar 4 | Jun 7 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 24 | Feb 25 | May 11 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 24 | Feb 25 | May 16 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 24 | Feb 25 | May 16 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 4 | Feb 4 | Apr 15 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 7 | Feb 25 | May 6 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 7 | Feb 25 | May 11 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 7 | Feb 25 | May 16 | 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 Vacaville grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Vacaville container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Vacaville frost questions
When is the last frost in Vacaville, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at VACAVILLE NUT TREE AP, CA is February 18: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 25; nine years in ten, it comes after January 11. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Vacaville, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 28. One year in ten it arrives before November 12; nine years in ten, before December 18.
How long is the growing season in Vacaville, CA?
283 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 245 days; one year in ten, at least 325 days.
What growing zone is Vacaville, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 95687. 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 Vacaville, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 7 and transplant around Feb 25, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 25. First ripe fruit lands around May 11.
When should I plant peppers in Vacaville, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 24; transplant no earlier than Feb 25, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 11.
Nearby in California
- Fairfieldlast frost Jan 15
- Napalast frost Feb 12
- Davislast frost Feb 10
- Vallejolast frost Mar 5
- Pittsburglast frost Jan 9
- Woodlandlast frost Feb 7
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →