McFarland, CA 93226 Frost Dates
When can you plant in McFarland, CA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/11, roughly 256 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 155 frost-free days later.
McFarland sits in USDA Zone 8b (15 to 20°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in McFarland before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around McFarland's last frost
05/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How McFarland compares
McFarland's growing season runs about 155 days, ranking 33,932 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 2,426 of 2,555.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in McFarland can differ from the 93226 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and McFarland's frost date answer different questions.