Nevada City, CA 95960 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Nevada City, CA?
Around 04/14 is the usual last spring frost, about 229 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/20, about 218 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Nevada City in Zone 9a (20 to 25°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 12 weeks of growing season left in Nevada City before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/14 isn't a guarantee
04/14 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Nevada City compares
About 218 days separate Nevada City's last and first frost, putting it 13,271 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within CA, it ranks 2,185 of 2,555.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Nevada City's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Nevada City's dates instead of trusting one.