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When to plant in Livingston, CA

USDA Zone 9a

Livingston, California frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

A generous ~348-day season lets Livingston gardeners direct-sow more and still ripen long-maturity crops like melons and winter squash. These dates come from a station roughly 17 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around Livingston (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. In zone 9a, frost is a minor factor for Livingston — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.

Station · TURLOCK #2 · 16.6 km
Last spring frost
January 6
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
December 20
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
348 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for LivingstonA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Livingston: last spring frost around January 6, first fall frost around December 20, about 348 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Livingston is now 20 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

TURLOCK #2 · 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 Livingston’s own odds, recorded at TURLOCK #2.

Frost-probability curves for LivingstonProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around January 6 and the first fall frost around December 20, giving about 348 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°FFeb 26Jan 31Jan 2Nov 21Dec 7Jan 3
32°FJan 31Jan 6Dec 14Dec 3Dec 20Jan 16
28°FJan 20Dec 30Dec 10Dec 8Dec 24Jan 16

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 Livingston, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 22 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.

TURLOCK #2
Primary
17 km · 31 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 6
FALL
Dec 20
MERCED
21 km · 47 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 3
FALL
Nov 24
MERCED 23 WSW
22 km · 24 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 28
FALL
Nov 14

Livingston planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Livingston, CA?

Livingston's average last spring frost falls near January 6 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in Livingston, CA?

Expect Livingston's first fall frost near December 20 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Livingston in?

Livingston is in USDA hardiness zone 9a. In zone 9a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Livingston?

Livingston has about 348 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (January 6) and first fall frost (December 20).

When should I plant tomatoes in Livingston?

For Livingston, sow tomatoes indoors about November 11–November 25 and move the seedlings out around January 13, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Livingston

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at TURLOCK #2, 17 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 Livingston, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 9a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00049073. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/california/livingston.