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When to plant in Mead Valley, CA

USDA Zone 9b

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

A generous ~350-day season lets Mead Valley gardeners direct-sow more and still ripen long-maturity crops like melons and winter squash. These dates come from a station roughly 16 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around Mead Valley (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. In zone 9b, frost is a minor factor for Mead Valley — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.

Station · RIVERSIDE FIRE STN 3 · 16.2 km
Last spring frost
January 9
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
December 25
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
350 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Mead ValleyA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Mead Valley: last spring frost around January 9, first fall frost around December 25, about 350 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

RIVERSIDE FIRE STN 3 · 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 Mead Valley’s own odds, recorded at RIVERSIDE FIRE STN 3.

Frost-probability curves for Mead ValleyProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around January 9 and the first fall frost around December 25, giving about 350 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 22Feb 19Jan 8Nov 15Dec 6Jan 1
32°FFeb 25Jan 9Dec 16Dec 1Dec 25Jan 27
28°FJan 16Dec 31Dec 13Nov 30Dec 29Jan 13

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 17 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.

RIVERSIDE FIRE STN 3
Primary
16 km · 256 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 9
FALL
Dec 25
RIVERSIDE CITRUS EXP
16 km · 301 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 10
FALL
Jan 2
ELSINORE
17 km · 387 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 28
FALL
Dec 18

Mead Valley planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Mead Valley, CA?

Mead Valley's average last spring frost falls near January 9 — 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 Mead Valley, CA?

Expect Mead Valley's first fall frost near December 25 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Mead Valley in?

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

How long is the growing season in Mead Valley?

Mead Valley has about 350 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (January 9) and first fall frost (December 25).

When should I plant tomatoes in Mead Valley?

For Mead Valley, sow tomatoes indoors about November 14–November 28 and move the seedlings out around January 16, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Mead Valley

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at RIVERSIDE FIRE STN 3, 16 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 Mead Valley, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 9b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00047470. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/california/mead-valley.
When to Plant in Mead Valley, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 9b — BlissGarden