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When to plant in Fresno, TX

USDA Zone 9b

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

A generous ~294-day season lets Fresno 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 Fresno (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. In zone 9b, frost is a minor factor for Fresno — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.

Station · THOMPSONS 3 WSW · 16.9 km
Last spring frost
February 15
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
December 6
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
294 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for FresnoA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Fresno: last spring frost around February 15, first fall frost around December 6, about 294 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Fresno is now 9 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

THOMPSONS 3 WSW · 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 Fresno’s own odds, recorded at THOMPSONS 3 WSW.

Frost-probability curves for FresnoProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around February 15 and the first fall frost around December 6, giving about 294 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°FApr 1Mar 6Feb 4Nov 4Nov 22Dec 12
32°FMar 15Feb 15Jan 13Nov 13Dec 6Jan 5
28°FMar 5Jan 26Dec 21Nov 29Dec 29Jan 29

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

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 28 days
Brussels Sprouts
August 16August 30

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

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

Nearby weather stations

3 within 20 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.

THOMPSONS 3 WSW
Primary
17 km · 21 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 15
FALL
Dec 6
HOUSTON SUGARLAND MEM
20 km · 25 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 2
FALL
Dec 11
SUGAR LAND
20 km · 26 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 9
FALL
Dec 13

Fresno planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Fresno, TX?

Plan for the last spring frost in Fresno around February 15 (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 Fresno, TX?

The first fall frost in Fresno typically arrives around December 6 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is Fresno in?

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

How long is the growing season in Fresno?

Fresno has about 294 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (February 15) and first fall frost (December 6).

When should I plant tomatoes in Fresno?

For Fresno, sow tomatoes indoors about December 21–January 4 and move the seedlings out around February 22, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Fresno

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at THOMPSONS 3 WSW, 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 Fresno, TX — Frost Dates & Zone 9b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00418996. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/texas/fresno.