Norden, CA frost dates
Last spring frostAny monthno frost-free season
Freezing nights227 / yrat or below 32°F
Hardiness zone7aZone 7a
Gardening where frost is possible all year
The weather station nearest Norden, CA records freezing temperatures in every month often enough that NOAA cannot define a frost-free season. Gardening is still possible — it just means planning for frost at any time:
- Grow fast, cold-tolerant crops: Radishes, Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Peas, Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Garlic.
- Plant once the soil can be worked — usually late spring to early summer at high elevation — and keep row covers ready for clear, still nights.
- Use season extension: cold frames, low tunnels, wall-of-water cloches or a greenhouse turn a few frost-free weeks into a real season.
- Frost-tender crops (tomatoes, squash, beans) need protection all season; choose the earliest varieties you can find.
How Norden compares
- Nearby Reno, NV, 51 km away, has a regular frost season (last frost Apr 28), a reminder of how much elevation and distance from the coast matter.
About these dates
Based on 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for the Donner Mem Sp, CA weather station, 11 km away (elevation 5,938 ft (1,810 m)).
Frost dates near Norden
- Soda Springs frost any month
- Truckee frost any month
- Olympic Valley Jun 9 · Sep 25
- Tahoe City Jun 9 · Sep 25
- Carnelian Bay Jun 9 · Sep 25
- Emigrant Gap May 22 · Oct 16
- Tahoe Vista May 17 · Oct 13
- Sierraville frost any month
- Kings Beach May 17 · Oct 13
- Floriston frost any month
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in Norden, CA?
Norden, CA can freeze in any month, so there is no reliable last frost date. The nearest NOAA station averages 227 nights a year at or below 32°F.
What can I grow in Norden, CA?
Fast, cold-tolerant crops such as radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, peas and potatoes, ideally under row covers, cold frames or a greenhouse. Frost-tender crops like tomatoes need protection all season.