Fairfax, CA 94956 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Fairfax, CA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 01/11, roughly 136 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/21, about 349 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fairfax in Zone 9b (25 to 30°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 16 weeks of growing season left in Fairfax 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
01/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/25 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Fairfax compares
Fairfax's growing season runs about 349 days, ranking 2,355 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 1,061 of 2,555.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Fairfax can differ from the 94956 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9b and Fairfax's frost date answer different questions.