When to plant in Littlerock, CA
Planting dates worked out from Littlerock's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 12
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Mar 14
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 28
1 year in 10 by Nov 10
Frost-free days
262
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Pearblossom · 8.2 km away · station 945 m, town 881 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 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 6 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 11 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 10 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 26 |
| Peas | — | Jan 31 – Feb 28 | Mar 27 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | May 25 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 21 – Apr 4 | Apr 22 |
| Beet | — | Feb 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 5 |
| Potato | — | Feb 21 – Mar 14 | May 2 |
| Kale | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 29 |
| Broccoli | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | Apr 15 |
| Cucumber | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 1 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | May 27 |
| Winter squash | Mar 15 – Mar 22 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | Jul 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jun 4 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | May 15 |
| Garlic | — | Nov 14 – Dec 12 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Jan 31 – Feb 28 | Mar 10 |
| Basil | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 8 |
Littlerock'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 |
|---|---|
| 1986 | Mar 17 |
| 1988 | Mar 13 |
| 1990 | Mar 14 |
| 1992 | Jan 24 |
| 1994 | Mar 25 |
| 1995 | Mar 26 |
| 1996 | Apr 2 |
| 1997 | Apr 3 |
| 1998 | Apr 15 |
| 1999 | Apr 10 |
| 2000 | Mar 7 |
| 2001 | Apr 9 |
| 2002 | Mar 19 |
| 2003 | Mar 4 |
| 2004 | Mar 1 |
| 2006 | Mar 15 |
| 2007 | Mar 2 |
| 2008 | Mar 16 |
| 2009 | Apr 25 |
| 2010 | Apr 22 |
| 2011 | Apr 9 |
| 2012 | Mar 8 |
| 2013 | Feb 27 |
| 2014 | Feb 4 |
| 2015 | Jan 5 |
| 2016 | Feb 4 |
| 2017 | Mar 5 |
| 2018 | Mar 5 |
| 2019 | Mar 10 |
| 2020 | Mar 26 |
| 2021 | Mar 16 |
| 2022 | Apr 16 |
| 2023 | Apr 6 |
| 2024 | Apr 6 |
| 2025 | Feb 9 |
| 2026 | Feb 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 303 |
| 1995 | 265 |
| 1996 | 241 |
| 1997 | 244 |
| 1998 | 232 |
| 1999 | 226 |
| 2000 | 238 |
| 2001 | 232 |
| 2002 | 274 |
| 2003 | 262 |
| 2004 | 264 |
| 2007 | 264 |
| 2008 | 268 |
| 2009 | 185 |
| 2010 | 214 |
| 2011 | 227 |
| 2012 | 247 |
| 2013 | 279 |
| 2014 | 324 |
| 2015 | 310 |
| 2016 | 298 |
| 2017 | 290 |
| 2018 | 297 |
| 2019 | 260 |
| 2020 | 228 |
| 2021 | 268 |
| 2022 | 234 |
| 2023 | 232 |
| 2024 | 246 |
| 2025 | 324 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 23.2 °C |
| 1995 | 22.3 °C |
| 1996 | 24.0 °C |
| 1997 | 23.1 °C |
| 1998 | 20.7 °C |
| 1999 | 21.9 °C |
| 2000 | 23.9 °C |
| 2001 | 24.1 °C |
| 2002 | 23.2 °C |
| 2003 | 23.4 °C |
| 2004 | 23.5 °C |
| 2012 | 24.9 °C |
| 2013 | 24.2 °C |
| 2014 | 23.7 °C |
| 2015 | 23.5 °C |
| 2016 | 24.3 °C |
| 2017 | 24.4 °C |
| 2018 | 25.0 °C |
| 2019 | 23.2 °C |
| 2020 | 24.1 °C |
| 2021 | 25.5 °C |
| 2022 | 24.8 °C |
| 2023 | 22.9 °C |
| 2024 | 24.9 °C |
| 2025 | 24.3 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1986, Littlerock's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 6 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Pearblossom (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.