Last frost date in South Lake Tahoe, CA

Average last frost
None

South Lake Tahoe has no freeze in a typical year. The nearest NOAA station, South Lake Tahoe Airport, records 32°F in fewer than half of winters, so there is no average last frost date to plan around.

Frost-free season
Year-round
Weather station
2.2 mi away
Next 6 nights in South Lake Tahoe

Frost likely Fri night, low 29°F

National Weather Service forecast, updated Oct 22, 12:57 UTC

  1. ThuOct 2237°
  2. FriOct 2329°frost
  3. SatOct 2436°possible frost
  4. SunOct 2538°
  5. MonOct 2638°
  6. TueOct 2738°
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo freeze in a typical yearBlue: chance of 32°F frost. Green: average frost-free season.JFMAMJJASONDNo freeze in a typical year
Frost risk through the year at South Lake Tahoe Airport, 2.2 miles from South Lake Tahoe.

Planting without a frost date

Frost-based calendars do not work well here. In mild-winter places the limit is summer heat, not cold: tomatoes and peppers stop setting fruit when nights stay above the mid 70s, and lettuce bolts.

The usual pattern is two seasons. Warm-season crops go in late winter and again in late summer, and cool-season crops like lettuce, broccoli and carrots grow through fall and winter. Your county extension office publishes a local calendar.

Frost probabilities

The station records no 32°F night in at least half of years, so NOAA publishes no frost dates for it.

Where these numbers come from

NOAA station South Lake Tahoe Airport (USW00093230) sits 2.2 miles from the center of South Lake Tahoe at 6,314 feet. Its averages cover 1991 to 2020. Low spots, valleys and open fields can keep getting frost a week or two after the station stops; city centers and lakeshores usually get less of it.

Questions

Does South Lake Tahoe get frost?

Rarely. The nearest NOAA station records a 32°F night in fewer than half of years, so most winters pass without a freeze.

When should I plant tomatoes in South Lake Tahoe?

Without a frost date to work from, timing follows heat instead of cold. Spring and fall are the usual tomato seasons; midsummer heat stops fruit from setting.

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