When to plant in Upper Lake, CA
Planting dates worked out from Upper Lake's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 23
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 5
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 3
1 year in 10 by Oct 22
Frost-free days
206
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Potter Valley Powerhouse · 28.9 km away · station 310 m, town 410 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 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 17 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 1 – Feb 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 17 |
| Peas | — | Feb 22 – Mar 22 | Apr 18 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 5 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 15 – Apr 26 | May 14 |
| Beet | — | Mar 8 – Apr 19 | Apr 27 |
| Potato | — | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | May 24 |
| Kale | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 20 |
| Broccoli | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | May 7 |
| Cucumber | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 12 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 7 |
| Winter squash | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jul 12 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 15 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | Jun 6 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 20 – Nov 17 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 22 – Mar 22 | Apr 1 |
| Basil | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 19 |
Upper Lake'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 |
|---|---|
| 1938 | May 3 |
| 1939 | Mar 27 |
| 1940 | Mar 12 |
| 1941 | Apr 18 |
| 1942 | May 10 |
| 1943 | May 16 |
| 1944 | Apr 25 |
| 1945 | Apr 13 |
| 1946 | Apr 30 |
| 1947 | Mar 24 |
| 1948 | May 1 |
| 1949 | Apr 3 |
| 1950 | May 8 |
| 1951 | Mar 31 |
| 1952 | Apr 29 |
| 1953 | May 9 |
| 1954 | May 1 |
| 1957 | Mar 23 |
| 1969 | Apr 25 |
| 1970 | Apr 29 |
| 1971 | Apr 21 |
| 1972 | Apr 29 |
| 1973 | Apr 18 |
| 1974 | May 18 |
| 1975 | May 4 |
| 1976 | Apr 9 |
| 1977 | May 7 |
| 1978 | Apr 21 |
| 1979 | Apr 19 |
| 1980 | Apr 7 |
| 1981 | Apr 12 |
| 1982 | Apr 8 |
| 1983 | Apr 13 |
| 1984 | Feb 26 |
| 1985 | Mar 29 |
| 1987 | Apr 19 |
| 1988 | Jun 6 |
| 1990 | Mar 13 |
| 1991 | Apr 12 |
| 1992 | Apr 6 |
| 1993 | Apr 12 |
| 1994 | Mar 31 |
| 1995 | Apr 21 |
| 1996 | Apr 20 |
| 1997 | Apr 10 |
| 1998 | Apr 14 |
| 1999 | May 16 |
| 2000 | Mar 21 |
| 2001 | Apr 14 |
| 2002 | Apr 18 |
| 2003 | Apr 14 |
| 2004 | Apr 1 |
| 2005 | Mar 30 |
| 2006 | Mar 26 |
| 2007 | Mar 29 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2010 | Apr 5 |
| 2011 | Apr 29 |
| 2012 | Apr 7 |
| 2013 | Apr 16 |
| 2014 | Feb 5 |
| 2015 | Mar 6 |
| 2016 | Feb 25 |
| 2018 | Apr 17 |
| 2019 | Mar 14 |
| 2020 | Apr 2 |
| 2021 | Mar 23 |
| 2022 | May 10 |
| 2023 | Apr 5 |
| 2024 | Apr 6 |
| 2025 | Mar 18 |
| 2026 | Jan 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1938 | 185 |
| 1939 | 211 |
| 1940 | 236 |
| 1941 | 213 |
| 1942 | 177 |
| 1943 | 168 |
| 1944 | 202 |
| 1945 | 193 |
| 1946 | 170 |
| 1947 | 226 |
| 1948 | 179 |
| 1949 | 187 |
| 1950 | 145 |
| 1951 | 229 |
| 1952 | 186 |
| 1953 | 167 |
| 1969 | 198 |
| 1970 | 179 |
| 1971 | 177 |
| 1972 | 183 |
| 1974 | 167 |
| 1975 | 171 |
| 1976 | 232 |
| 1977 | 185 |
| 1978 | 192 |
| 1979 | 215 |
| 1980 | 218 |
| 1982 | 214 |
| 1983 | 208 |
| 1984 | 242 |
| 1985 | 198 |
| 1987 | 209 |
| 1990 | 232 |
| 1991 | 201 |
| 1993 | 214 |
| 1994 | 211 |
| 1995 | 185 |
| 1996 | 182 |
| 1997 | 234 |
| 1998 | 198 |
| 1999 | 189 |
| 2000 | 232 |
| 2001 | 206 |
| 2002 | 194 |
| 2003 | 200 |
| 2004 | 208 |
| 2005 | 233 |
| 2006 | 216 |
| 2008 | 163 |
| 2010 | 204 |
| 2011 | 187 |
| 2012 | 216 |
| 2013 | 200 |
| 2015 | 242 |
| 2016 | 264 |
| 2018 | 202 |
| 2019 | 209 |
| 2020 | 220 |
| 2021 | 202 |
| 2022 | 176 |
| 2023 | 204 |
| 2024 | 205 |
| 2025 | 251 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1938 | 19.3 °C |
| 1939 | 19.4 °C |
| 1940 | 19.7 °C |
| 1941 | 18.8 °C |
| 1942 | 18.6 °C |
| 1943 | 19.1 °C |
| 1944 | 18.9 °C |
| 1945 | 19.6 °C |
| 1946 | 18.9 °C |
| 1947 | 19.2 °C |
| 1948 | 17.6 °C |
| 1949 | 19.6 °C |
| 1950 | 19.8 °C |
| 1951 | 19.7 °C |
| 1952 | 19.8 °C |
| 1969 | 19.9 °C |
| 1970 | 19.6 °C |
| 1971 | 18.8 °C |
| 1972 | 19.1 °C |
| 1974 | 19.4 °C |
| 1975 | 19.0 °C |
| 1976 | 18.3 °C |
| 1977 | 18.7 °C |
| 1978 | 19.0 °C |
| 1979 | 18.9 °C |
| 1981 | 19.5 °C |
| 1982 | 18.6 °C |
| 1983 | 18.2 °C |
| 1984 | 18.9 °C |
| 1985 | 19.0 °C |
| 1987 | 19.1 °C |
| 1990 | 18.8 °C |
| 1991 | 18.4 °C |
| 1993 | 17.4 °C |
| 1994 | 18.4 °C |
| 1995 | 18.1 °C |
| 2003 | 19.3 °C |
| 2004 | 19.5 °C |
| 2005 | 19.0 °C |
| 2006 | 19.9 °C |
| 2007 | 18.8 °C |
| 2010 | 18.6 °C |
| 2011 | 18.8 °C |
| 2012 | 19.4 °C |
| 2013 | 20.0 °C |
| 2014 | 20.5 °C |
| 2015 | 20.4 °C |
| 2016 | 20.3 °C |
| 2018 | 20.2 °C |
| 2019 | 20.5 °C |
| 2020 | 20.7 °C |
| 2021 | 21.6 °C |
| 2022 | 19.7 °C |
| 2023 | 19.9 °C |
| 2024 | 20.7 °C |
| 2025 | 20.6 °C |
| 2026 | 21.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1938, Upper Lake's last spring frost has come about 3 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 Potter Valley Powerhouse (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.