Redding, California: planting zone & frost dates
Redding is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 17 and the first fall frost around Nov 16.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 9 | Nov 7 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 17 | Nov 16 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 3 | Nov 21 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station REDDING MUNI AP, CA (USW00024257), 5.1 mi (8.2 km) from the city center and 33 ft lower than the city center (-10 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 25 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Redding
Redding spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 4 ZIP codes): 9b (71%), 9a (29%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Redding
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 17, first frost Nov 16). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 3 – Mar 24 | Feb 17 – Mar 31 | Sep 7 – Oct 5 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 24 – Apr 28 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Cucumber | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 24 – Mar 31 | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Onion | Dec 23 – Jan 6 | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 17 – Mar 10 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 3 – Mar 3 | Sep 21 – Oct 19 |
| Kale | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Feb 17 – Mar 10 | Feb 17 – Mar 10 | Sep 7 – Oct 5 |
| Broccoli | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Mar 3 – Mar 24 | — | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 3 – Feb 24 | Sep 7 – Sep 21 |
| Eggplant | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 20 – Feb 3 | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | — | Aug 24 – Sep 7 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 10 – Mar 31 | Oct 5 – Nov 2 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 17 – Mar 10 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 24 – Apr 7 | Sep 7 – Sep 21 |
Nearby cities in California
- Chico — zone 9b, last frost Mar 15, first frost Nov 10
- Roseville — zone 9b, last frost Mar 5, first frost Nov 17
- Santa Rosa — zone 9a, last frost Mar 7, first frost Nov 21
- Citrus Heights — zone 9b, last frost Jan 22, first frost Dec 7
- Sacramento — zone 9b, last frost Jan 22, first frost Dec 7
- Vacaville — zone 9b, last frost Mar 3, first frost Nov 21
More: all California cities · other zone 9b cities: Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, San Jose, CA, Fresno, CA, Sacramento, CA, Mesa, AZ, Bakersfield, CA
Redding gardening questions
When is the last frost in Redding, CA?
Plan around Mar 17. At NOAA's Redding Municipal Airport, CA station, 5.1 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Mar 3, and after Apr 9 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Jan 27. Springs here are erratic: 68 days separate the 90% and 10% dates, versus a median of 36 days for cities on this site, so watch the forecast rather than the calendar.
When should I plant tomatoes in Redding, CA?
Start seeds indoors Jan 20 – Feb 3 and set transplants outside Mar 24 – Apr 7, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 244 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Redding?
About 261 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 223 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 299 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 7 and a 30% chance by Nov 16. That ranks 79th longest of 84 California cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Redding?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 16): transplant broccoli Aug 24 – Sep 7; sow kale Sep 7 – Oct 5; sow lettuce Sep 7 – Oct 5; sow radishes Oct 5 – Nov 2. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 7. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Redding's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Redding was zone 9a on the 2012 map and is zone 9b on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Redding in zone 9b?
No. Zone 9b covers about 71% of the city's land; the rest is in 9a (29%), measured across the city's 4 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.