Chico, CA Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Chico, California.
Gardening in Chico
Sacramento Valley's college town (Chico State) has tree-lined streets, hot summers, and some of the most affordable food-growing conditions in California.
Zone 9a with 266 frost-free days. Northern Sacramento Valley heat rivals the south. Rich valley-bottom soil from centuries of Sacramento River flooding. Bidwell Park proves the growing conditions.
Chico's Thursday Night Market and the surrounding agricultural land create a food-conscious community. Sierra Nevada Brewing put Chico on the map; the valley soil keeps gardeners here.
What This Means for Chico Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Chico is around February 25, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 18. That gives you approximately 266 frost-free days to work with.
266 days is a long, productive season that supports two full rounds of warm-season crops plus continuous cool-season production through your mild winter. Most frost-sensitive crops can be transplanted by February 25, giving them months to produce before fall. Your winter garden is the real advantage — growing fresh vegetables in December and January while northern gardeners browse seed catalogs.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Chico area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Chico
Chico's 266-day growing season is generous — long enough for two full growing windows (spring and fall) with warm-season crops between them. You can grow the full range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with proper timing. Focus on heat-tolerant varieties for midsummer and cool-season crops for extended fall harvests. Recommended starting points: tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, garlic, kale, and sunflowers.
See the full California planting guide for all 40 plants: California Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Chico.
More About Zone 9A
Chico is in USDA Hardiness Zone 9A, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 20°F to 25°F. View the full Zone 9A planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for California: California Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in California
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Chico area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Chico (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
Cool-season crops go in 3-4 weeks before your last frost (February 25). Warm-season crops wait until 2 weeks after. You have time for a fall round too — plant cool-season crops again in late summer for harvest into autumn. Enter your zip code for exact dates.