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When to plant in San Pablo, CA

USDA Zone 10a

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

A ~-2-day frost-free window makes San Pablo a short-season garden: choose early varieties and start long-season crops indoors well ahead of the last frost. Zone 10a is warm enough that San Pablo can grow subtropical perennials, and the short (or absent) frost period barely limits the annual calendar.

Station · RICHMOND · 5.7 km
Last spring frost
January 4
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
January 2
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
-2 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for San PabloA year-band from January to December for San Pablo: San Pablo is effectively frost-free at 32°F — no distinct frost season.
San Pablo is effectively frost-free at 32°F — no distinct frost season.

Frost probability

RICHMOND · 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 San Pablo’s own odds, recorded at RICHMOND.

Frost-probability curves for San PabloProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around January 4 and the first fall frost around January 2, where a 32°F freeze is rare enough that there is effectively no distinct frost season.
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 23Jan 17Dec 22Dec 2Dec 24Jan 21
32°FJan 26Jan 4Dec 14Dec 11Jan 2Jan 22

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 18 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.

RICHMOND
Primary
6 km · 6 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 4
FALL
Jan 2
BERKELEY
12 km · 95 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 3
FALL
Jan 1
SAN RAFAEL CIVIC CTR
18 km · 37 m elevation
SPRING
Jan 11
FALL
Dec 21

San Pablo planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in San Pablo, CA?

San Pablo's average last spring frost falls near January 4 — 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 San Pablo, CA?

The first fall frost in San Pablo typically arrives around January 2 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is San Pablo in?

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

How long is the growing season in San Pablo?

There are roughly -2 frost-free days in San Pablo (a short growing season), running from the average last frost around January 4 to the first fall frost near January 2.

When should I plant tomatoes in San Pablo?

In San Pablo, start tomato seeds indoors around November 9–November 23, then transplant seedlings outdoors around January 11 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in San Pablo

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at RICHMOND, 6 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 San Pablo, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 10a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00047414. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/california/san-pablo.
When to Plant in San Pablo, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 10a — BlissGarden