When to plant in Covelo, CA
Planting dates worked out from Covelo's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 21
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 29
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 17
1 year in 10 by Oct 5
Frost-free days
172
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Covelo · 2.5 km away · station 431 m, town 426 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 15 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 20 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 25 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 11 |
| Peas | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | May 12 |
| Bush beans | — | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 3 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jun 7 |
| Beet | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 21 |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 17 |
| Kale | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 14 |
| Broccoli | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | May 31 |
| Cucumber | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 10 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 5 |
| Winter squash | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Aug 9 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 13 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 30 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | Apr 25 |
| Basil | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 17 |
Covelo's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1936 | Apr 21 |
| 1937 | Apr 27 |
| 1938 | May 3 |
| 1943 | May 14 |
| 1945 | Apr 26 |
| 1947 | May 10 |
| 1948 | May 30 |
| 1949 | Apr 25 |
| 1950 | May 8 |
| 1951 | Apr 30 |
| 1952 | Jun 12 |
| 1953 | May 22 |
| 1954 | May 1 |
| 1955 | Apr 27 |
| 1956 | May 12 |
| 1959 | May 18 |
| 1960 | May 22 |
| 1961 | May 12 |
| 1962 | May 20 |
| 1963 | May 12 |
| 1965 | May 8 |
| 1966 | Jun 3 |
| 1967 | May 12 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | May 4 |
| 1970 | May 12 |
| 1971 | May 17 |
| 1972 | Apr 30 |
| 1974 | May 16 |
| 1975 | May 5 |
| 1978 | May 6 |
| 1979 | May 8 |
| 1980 | May 25 |
| 1981 | Jun 13 |
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1984 | Apr 28 |
| 1985 | May 8 |
| 1987 | Apr 19 |
| 1988 | May 1 |
| 1989 | Apr 27 |
| 1990 | Apr 2 |
| 1991 | May 10 |
| 1992 | Apr 6 |
| 1993 | Apr 12 |
| 1994 | Apr 10 |
| 1995 | Apr 21 |
| 1996 | Apr 20 |
| 1997 | Apr 11 |
| 1998 | May 26 |
| 1999 | Jun 8 |
| 2000 | Apr 28 |
| 2001 | May 2 |
| 2002 | May 11 |
| 2004 | Apr 22 |
| 2005 | Apr 19 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 25 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1936 | 182 |
| 1937 | 190 |
| 1938 | 164 |
| 1943 | 169 |
| 1945 | 153 |
| 1947 | 149 |
| 1948 | 117 |
| 1950 | 144 |
| 1951 | 178 |
| 1952 | 141 |
| 1953 | 132 |
| 1954 | 152 |
| 1955 | 182 |
| 1956 | 132 |
| 1959 | 162 |
| 1960 | 139 |
| 1961 | 149 |
| 1962 | 148 |
| 1963 | 167 |
| 1966 | 130 |
| 1967 | 153 |
| 1968 | 136 |
| 1969 | 151 |
| 1970 | 124 |
| 1971 | 151 |
| 1972 | 179 |
| 1975 | 170 |
| 1978 | 174 |
| 1979 | 173 |
| 1980 | 143 |
| 1981 | 112 |
| 1983 | 157 |
| 1984 | 171 |
| 1988 | 200 |
| 1989 | 183 |
| 1990 | 187 |
| 1991 | 165 |
| 1992 | 216 |
| 1993 | 198 |
| 1994 | 188 |
| 1995 | 173 |
| 1996 | 178 |
| 1997 | 196 |
| 1998 | 136 |
| 1999 | 130 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 174 |
| 2002 | 143 |
| 2004 | 187 |
| 2005 | 158 |
| 2007 | 172 |
| 2008 | 162 |
| 2009 | 162 |
| 2010 | 168 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1936 | 19.2 °C |
| 1937 | 18.9 °C |
| 1938 | 19.6 °C |
| 1945 | 18.5 °C |
| 1947 | 18.2 °C |
| 1948 | 16.9 °C |
| 1949 | 18.6 °C |
| 1950 | 18.8 °C |
| 1951 | 20.9 °C |
| 1952 | 19.2 °C |
| 1953 | 17.3 °C |
| 1954 | 18.0 °C |
| 1955 | 17.4 °C |
| 1956 | 18.3 °C |
| 1959 | 18.2 °C |
| 1960 | 18.3 °C |
| 1961 | 18.1 °C |
| 1962 | 18.2 °C |
| 1963 | 16.3 °C |
| 1965 | 16.7 °C |
| 1966 | 17.8 °C |
| 1967 | 17.8 °C |
| 1968 | 17.4 °C |
| 1969 | 17.9 °C |
| 1970 | 17.6 °C |
| 1971 | 16.9 °C |
| 1972 | 17.6 °C |
| 1975 | 17.0 °C |
| 1976 | 17.9 °C |
| 1977 | 18.7 °C |
| 1978 | 18.0 °C |
| 1979 | 18.5 °C |
| 1980 | 17.7 °C |
| 1981 | 19.0 °C |
| 1983 | 17.4 °C |
| 1984 | 19.0 °C |
| 1985 | 18.8 °C |
| 1988 | 19.3 °C |
| 1989 | 18.6 °C |
| 1990 | 19.1 °C |
| 1991 | 18.9 °C |
| 1992 | 19.8 °C |
| 1994 | 18.9 °C |
| 1996 | 19.0 °C |
| 1998 | 17.4 °C |
| 1999 | 17.3 °C |
| 2000 | 18.1 °C |
| 2001 | 18.0 °C |
| 2002 | 18.1 °C |
| 2003 | 18.0 °C |
| 2004 | 18.5 °C |
| 2005 | 17.4 °C |
| 2007 | 18.6 °C |
| 2008 | 19.4 °C |
| 2009 | 18.4 °C |
| 2010 | 16.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1936, Covelo's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Covelo (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.