South Lake Tahoe, CA 89460 Frost Dates
When can you plant in South Lake Tahoe, CA?
Around 06/07 is the usual last spring frost, about 283 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/28, about 113 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts South Lake Tahoe in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 4 weeks of growing season left in South Lake Tahoe before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
06/07 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/24 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How South Lake Tahoe compares
At roughly 113 frost-free days, South Lake Tahoe places 39,385 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within CA, it ranks 2,497 of 2,555.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around South Lake Tahoe's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in South Lake Tahoe can differ from the 89460 normal.