Stockton, CA 95205 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Stockton, CA?
Around 02/05 is the usual last spring frost, about 161 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/08, about 305 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Stockton 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 15 weeks of growing season left in Stockton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 02/05 isn't a guarantee
02/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/11 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/27 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Stockton compares
Stockton's growing season runs about 305 days, ranking 3,720 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 1,505 of 2,555.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9b and Stockton's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Stockton's dates instead of trusting one.