When to plant in Foresthill, CA
Planting dates worked out from Foresthill's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 4
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 17
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 13
1 year in 10 by Oct 28
Frost-free days
214
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Secret Town California · 19.1 km away · station 861 m, town 984 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 9 – Mar 23 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 28 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 3 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 13 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Apr 29 |
| Peas | — | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | Apr 30 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 16 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 27 – May 8 | May 26 |
| Beet | — | Mar 20 – May 1 | May 9 |
| Potato | — | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 5 |
| Kale | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 2 |
| Broccoli | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | May 19 |
| Cucumber | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 23 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 18 |
| Winter squash | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 23 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 26 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | Jun 18 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 30 – Nov 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | Apr 13 |
| Basil | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 30 |
Foresthill'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 |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Feb 25 |
| 1994 | Apr 10 |
| 1995 | Apr 21 |
| 1996 | Apr 20 |
| 1997 | Mar 31 |
| 1998 | May 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 27 |
| 2000 | May 11 |
| 2001 | Apr 15 |
| 2002 | Apr 19 |
| 2004 | Apr 16 |
| 2005 | Apr 14 |
| 2006 | Mar 30 |
| 2007 | Apr 23 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 29 |
| 2010 | May 23 |
| 2011 | Apr 29 |
| 2012 | Apr 14 |
| 2013 | Apr 16 |
| 2014 | Apr 5 |
| 2015 | Apr 14 |
| 2016 | Mar 29 |
| 2017 | Apr 14 |
| 2018 | Apr 19 |
| 2019 | Apr 10 |
| 2020 | Apr 5 |
| 2021 | Mar 24 |
| 2022 | May 11 |
| 2023 | Apr 19 |
| 2024 | Apr 8 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 260 |
| 1994 | 205 |
| 1995 | 237 |
| 1996 | 187 |
| 1997 | 245 |
| 1998 | 168 |
| 1999 | 204 |
| 2000 | 172 |
| 2002 | 235 |
| 2004 | 193 |
| 2005 | 225 |
| 2006 | 225 |
| 2007 | 211 |
| 2008 | 162 |
| 2009 | 182 |
| 2010 | 169 |
| 2011 | 188 |
| 2012 | 208 |
| 2013 | 221 |
| 2014 | 224 |
| 2015 | 203 |
| 2016 | 239 |
| 2017 | 232 |
| 2018 | 225 |
| 2019 | 228 |
| 2020 | 216 |
| 2021 | 260 |
| 2022 | 175 |
| 2023 | 214 |
| 2024 | 223 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 17.9 °C |
| 1994 | 19.8 °C |
| 1995 | 18.2 °C |
| 1996 | 19.9 °C |
| 1997 | 19.7 °C |
| 1998 | 18.3 °C |
| 1999 | 18.9 °C |
| 2000 | 18.9 °C |
| 2001 | 20.2 °C |
| 2002 | 20.3 °C |
| 2004 | 20.5 °C |
| 2005 | 18.8 °C |
| 2006 | 20.3 °C |
| 2007 | 19.7 °C |
| 2008 | 20.9 °C |
| 2009 | 20.5 °C |
| 2010 | 17.8 °C |
| 2011 | 18.0 °C |
| 2012 | 19.9 °C |
| 2013 | 20.0 °C |
| 2014 | 20.6 °C |
| 2015 | 20.3 °C |
| 2016 | 20.4 °C |
| 2017 | 20.7 °C |
| 2018 | 20.5 °C |
| 2019 | 19.6 °C |
| 2020 | 21.1 °C |
| 2021 | 21.9 °C |
| 2022 | 20.4 °C |
| 2023 | 19.3 °C |
| 2024 | 21.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1993, Foresthill's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Secret Town California (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.