Fresno, CA Frost Dates: Last Spring and First Fall Frost

In a typical year the final freeze of spring reaches Fresno around January 14, and the first freeze of autumn returns around December 14. NOAA's normals call the frost-free stretch between them 337 days long.

Even odds are a coin toss, so plan around the safer edges: one winter in ten still has a freeze on or after February 11, and one fall in ten has its first freeze by November 29. Against a median of 229 days for the 100 cities on these pages, Fresno has a season 108 days longer, 7th on the list.

NOAA measured them at Fresno Yosemite International AP (station USW00093193), about 4.1 miles east of the Census Bureau's internal point for Fresno and about 330 feet above sea level.

Fresno's last spring frost, by chance

Frost is still possible on December 22 in nine winters out of ten and on January 14 in five; only one winter in ten sees a freeze as late as February 11.

There are 51 days between the early and late dates, a broader band than most cities on these pages show. In Fresno the typical date is a weaker promise than it looks.

When is the first frost in Fresno?

In Fresno the first freeze has arrived by November 29 in one fall out of ten, by December 14 in five, and by January 12 in nine.

44 days separate the early and late fall dates, a broad band compared with most cities here, so a fall crop in Fresno should be planned against the early date, not the typical one.

How long is the frost-free season in Fresno?

Fresno has far more frost-free days than the middle of these pages, and slow crops benefit most, as the planting dates below show. The gap between a typical year and a short one is 32 days, wider than for most cities on these pages. Count on 305 days, not 337 days, when a crop has little slack.

NOAA counts these days from its own simulations, so they will not equal the number of days between the two typical dates exactly. A night at or below 32°F shows up in only 85.4% of years here. In the remaining 14.6% winter passes without one, so these dates describe when frost is possible, not when it is certain.

Hard freeze dates for Fresno

Hard freezes trail the light ones by 10 days in fall (December 24 against December 14) and by 13 days in spring (January 1 against January 14). The late 28°F spring date, January 24, is the one that still catches blooms and young transplants one year in ten, and the early fall date, December 7, is when a hard freeze has arrived in one fall out of ten.

Planting dates for Fresno, counted from the frost dates

University of New Hampshire Extension sorts vegetables by how they cope with cold. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost: counting from January 14, cabbage transplants go in on December 17 and lettuce from December 17 to December 24. Tender crops wait until it has passed, with peppers going out on January 28 and beans sown on or after January 14. The University of New Hampshire Extension sheet gives peas no frost count at all; sow them as soon as the soil thaws.

Counting from the late date instead of the typical one adds 28 days before tender crops go out, a big difference in Fresno. Gardeners who cannot cover plants on a cold night should take the later date.

Fall crops are counted back from the first frost: NC State Extension's days to harvest plus University of Georgia Extension's harvest allowance of 18 days. All 34 crops in the fall planner have room in Fresno, with a last planting day no earlier than July. The slowest crop that still fits is parsnips, which needs 148 days before the early first frost and so must be in by July 4.

Worked example: fall broccoli in Fresno

Broccoli transplants need up to 80 days to reach harvest by NC State Extension's table, and University of Georgia Extension adds 18 days to harvest, so 98 days must pass before frost. In Fresno the last planting day is September 7 against the typical first frost on December 14, and August 23 against the early date on November 29.

The two answers are 15 days apart, a wide enough gap that the early date is the safer one to follow in Fresno.

Spring is the other end of the same arithmetic: University of New Hampshire Extension sets cabbage-family transplants out two to four weeks before the last frost, which from January 14 puts cabbage out on December 17.

About the Fresno Yosemite International AP station

The station is 4.1 miles east of the Census Bureau's internal point for Fresno, near enough to be the city's reference record, though not in the same yard.

Its elevation is about 330 feet. Of the 100 stations behind these pages, 72 sit higher and 27 lower. NOAA flags this station's record as standard, the code S, for the data behind its 50% last-frost value.

The Census Gazetteer gives no elevation for Fresno itself, so this page cannot tell you whether your garden sits above or below the station. If it is noticeably higher or lower, compare the stations the frost dates tool lists nearby and lean toward the colder reading.

How Fresno's frost dates compare

Of the cities on these pages, Modesto, CA is closest to Fresno at 89 miles, with two more farther out; none is a close neighbor.

• Modesto, CA lies 89 miles north-west of Fresno. Typical last frost January 31, first frost December 5, 312 days between; its last frost comes 17 days after Fresno's, and the frost-free season is 25 days shorter than Fresno's.
• Bakersfield, CA, 107 miles to the south-east: last frost January 31, first frost December 8, 312 days frost-free; the last frost is 17 days later than in Fresno, and the frost-free season is 25 days shorter than Fresno's.
• San Jose, CA, 117 miles to the west: last frost January 2, first frost December 25, 362 days frost-free; the last frost is 12 days earlier than in Fresno, and the season runs 25 days longer.

Next steps for Fresno gardeners

Start with the spring planting planner for the whole crop list counted from these dates, and the fall planting planner for the last planting days. The frost dates tool shows every level of risk at this station, and the hardiness zone lookup covers winter survival for shrubs and perennials.

Looking for another city? The city frost dates index lists every page, grouped by state.

For California, the state planting pages copy the Extension calendar (UC Master Gardener Program) crop by crop and region by region: tomatoes in California, peppers in California, cucumbers in California, summer squash in California, green beans in California. Set those windows beside the frost dates above.

Where these numbers come from

The frost and freeze dates are NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals for 1991–2020 (doi:10.25921/4ek7-fk11), copied from the station's own record without adjustment; NOAA's documentation defines each probability. Fresno and its internal point are listed in the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer of places; its place in the ranking comes from the Vintage 2024 population estimates, which count 550,105 residents.

University of New Hampshire Extension, NC State Extension and University of Georgia Extension supply the planting rules; this page only counts them from the station's dates. The methodology page explains how each figure is checked.

NOAA's dates say how often frost has come, not when it will. Check the forecast before planting and keep a cover on hand.