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When to plant in Discovery Bay, CA

USDA Zone 9b

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Discovery Bay, California — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

A generous ~325-day season lets Discovery Bay gardeners direct-sow more and still ripen long-maturity crops like melons and winter squash. Zone 9b is warm enough that Discovery Bay can grow subtropical perennials, and the short (or absent) frost period barely limits the annual calendar.

Station · TRACY PUMPING PLT · 12.6 km
Last spring frost
January 19
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
December 10
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
325 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Discovery BayA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Discovery Bay: last spring frost around January 19, first fall frost around December 10, about 325 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Discovery Bay is now 11 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

TRACY PUMPING PLT · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Discovery Bay’s own odds, recorded at TRACY PUMPING PLT.

Frost-probability curves for Discovery BayProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around January 19 and the first fall frost around December 10, giving about 325 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FMar 24Feb 21Jan 22Nov 13Nov 29Dec 13
32°FFeb 17Jan 19Dec 25Nov 26Dec 10Jan 7
28°FJan 22Jan 1Dec 12Dec 4Dec 22Jan 10

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19

Nothing new to sow or transplant outdoors in the next few weeks — a seasonal lull. Check the full-year calendar below for the next window.

Add the next planting windows to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Discovery Bay, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 27 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

TRACY PUMPING PLT
Primary
13 km · 19 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 19
FALL
Dec 10
ANTIOCH PUMPING PLT #3
16 km · 18 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 12
FALL
Dec 19
STOCKTON FIRE STN 4
27 km · 4 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 5
FALL
Dec 8

Discovery Bay planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Discovery Bay, CA?

On average, the last spring frost in Discovery Bay is around January 19 (50% probability at 32°F, from 1991–2020 NOAA normals). Wait until after this date to set out tender plants like tomatoes and peppers.

When is the first fall frost in Discovery Bay, CA?

In Discovery Bay, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around December 10 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Discovery Bay in?

Discovery Bay is in USDA hardiness zone 9b. In zone 9b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Discovery Bay?

There are roughly 325 frost-free days in Discovery Bay (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around January 19 to the first fall frost near December 10.

When should I plant tomatoes in Discovery Bay?

In Discovery Bay, start tomato seeds indoors around November 24–December 8, then transplant seedlings outdoors around January 26 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Discovery Bay

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Discovery Bay’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at TRACY PUMPING PLT, 13 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Discovery Bay, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 9b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00049001. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/california/discovery-bay.
When to Plant in Discovery Bay, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 9b — BlissGarden