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When to plant in Milpitas, CA

USDA Zone 10a

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

Milpitas enjoys a long ~344-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. In zone 10a, frost is a minor factor for Milpitas — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.

Station · SAN JOSE · 8.7 km
Last spring frost
January 12
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
December 22
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
344 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for MilpitasA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Milpitas: last spring frost around January 12, first fall frost around December 22, about 344 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

SAN JOSE · 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 Milpitas’s own odds, recorded at SAN JOSE.

Frost-probability curves for MilpitasProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around January 12 and the first fall frost around December 22, giving about 344 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 9Feb 12Jan 11Nov 17Dec 3Dec 31
32°FFeb 14Jan 12Dec 20Dec 1Dec 22Jan 20
28°FJan 17Dec 31Dec 10Dec 6Dec 28Jan 14

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 14 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.

SAN JOSE
Primary
9 km · 16 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 12
FALL
Dec 22
SAN JOSE
9 km · 20 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 2
FALL
Dec 25
MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD
14 km · 12 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 6
FALL
Dec 23

Milpitas planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Milpitas, CA?

Plan for the last spring frost in Milpitas around January 12 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Milpitas, CA?

In Milpitas, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around December 22 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Milpitas in?

Milpitas is in USDA hardiness zone 10a. In zone 10a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Milpitas?

Milpitas has about 344 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (January 12) and first fall frost (December 22).

When should I plant tomatoes in Milpitas?

For Milpitas, sow tomatoes indoors about November 17–December 1 and move the seedlings out around January 19, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Milpitas

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at SAN JOSE, 9 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 Milpitas, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 10a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00023293. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/california/milpitas.
When to Plant in Milpitas, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 10a — BlissGarden