Point Arena, CA 95497 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Point Arena, CA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 02/25, about 181 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/03, about 279 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Point Arena in Zone 10a (30 to 35°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 14 weeks of growing season left in Point Arena before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 02/25 isn't a guarantee
02/25 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Point Arena compares
Point Arena's growing season runs about 279 days, ranking 4,905 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 1,804 of 2,555.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Point Arena can differ from the 95497 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 10a and Point Arena's frost date answer different questions.