Lancaster, California: planting zone & frost dates
Lancaster is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 11 and the first fall frost around Oct 27.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 23 | Oct 17 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 11 | Oct 27 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 3 | Nov 1 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station LANCASTER WM J FOX FLD, CA (USW00003159), 3.9 mi (6.2 km) from the city center and 10 ft higher than the city center (+3 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 27 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Lancaster
Lancaster spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 3 ZIP codes): 8b (88%), 8a (12%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Lancaster
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 11, first frost Oct 27). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 18 – May 2 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Mar 14 – Apr 25 | Aug 18 – Sep 15 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 18 – May 23 | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 18 – May 16 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| Cucumber | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 25 – May 2 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 21 – Apr 25 | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| Onion | Jan 17 – Jan 31 | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Apr 25 – May 16 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 28 – Mar 28 | Sep 1 – Sep 29 |
| Kale | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | Aug 18 – Sep 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | — | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 28 – Mar 21 | Aug 18 – Sep 1 |
| Eggplant | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | — | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 7 – Apr 25 | Sep 15 – Oct 13 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 21 – May 2 | Aug 18 – Sep 1 |
Nearby cities in California
- Palmdale — zone 9a, last frost Mar 27, first frost Nov 12
- Santa Clarita — zone 10a, last frost Jan 26, first frost Dec 20
- Glendale — zone 10a, last frost Jan 14, first frost Jan 1
- Burbank — zone 10a, last frost Jan 10, first frost Dec 16
- Pasadena — zone 10a, last frost Jan 14, first frost Jan 1
- Alhambra — zone 10a, last frost Jan 13, first frost Dec 28
More: all California cities · other zone 8b cities: Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, El Paso, TX, Virginia Beach, VA, Arlington, TX, Plano, TX, Irving, TX, Garland, TX
Lancaster gardening questions
When is the last frost in Lancaster, CA?
Plan around Apr 11. At NOAA's Lancaster Wm J Fox Field, CA station, 3.9 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 3, and after Apr 23 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 8. Springs here are erratic: 46 days separate the 90% and 10% dates, versus a median of 36 days for cities on this site, so watch the forecast rather than the calendar.
When should I plant tomatoes in Lancaster, CA?
Start seeds indoors Feb 14 – Feb 28 and set transplants outside Apr 18 – May 2, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 199 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Lancaster?
About 211 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 185 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 240 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 17 and a 30% chance by Oct 27. That is the shortest of the 84 California cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Lancaster?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 27): transplant broccoli Aug 4 – Aug 18; sow kale Aug 18 – Sep 15; sow lettuce Aug 18 – Sep 15; sow radishes Sep 15 – Oct 13. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 10. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Lancaster's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, Lancaster is zone 8b on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Lancaster in zone 8b?
No. Zone 8b covers about 88% of the city's land; the rest is in 8a (12%), measured across the city's 3 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.