Shasta Lake, CA 96070 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Shasta Lake, CA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/03, about 187 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/21, about 261 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Shasta Lake 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 Shasta Lake before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/03 isn't a guarantee
03/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/31 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Shasta Lake compares
At roughly 261 frost-free days, Shasta Lake places 6,397 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within CA, it ranks 2,046 of 2,555.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Shasta Lake's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Shasta Lake's dates instead of trusting one.