Sonora, CA 95321 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Sonora, CA?
Around 04/22 is the usual last spring frost, about 237 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/02, about 192 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Sonora in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 9 weeks of growing season left in Sonora 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
04/22 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Sonora compares
About 192 days separate Sonora's last and first frost, putting it 20,289 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within CA, it ranks 2,303 of 2,555.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Sonora's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Sonora can differ from the 95321 normal.