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Your nature year

Fresno, Californiathrough the year

Also for Clovis, CA, Madera, CA, Sanger, CA, Visalia, CA, Tulare, CA, Porterville, CA, Hanford, CA, Lemoore, CA: the same nearby places.

When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Fresno?

The town is about 310 feet above sea level. Spring green-up reaches town around Jan 31, with first blooms around Feb 28. Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. Fresno usually sees its last spring frost around Jan 14 and its first fall frost around Dec 14, a frost-free stretch of about 334 days at NOAA's Fresno Yosemite International station, 4 miles away. The closest place we follow is Kaiser Pass Road, 50 miles away, for fall foliage, Sep 25–Nov 30 (local timing). Yosemite (65 mi) is the pick for wildflowers, Mar 1–Aug 31 (local timing). Within 150 miles we follow 7 places, out to Death Valley 149 miles to the east. Statewide, California's fall color is usually well under way by late October.

Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Fresno's year at a glance

  • Frost possible
  • Frost-free, ~Jan 14 to ~Dec 14
  • First leaf ~Jan 31
  • First bloom ~Feb 28
  • Fall color under way ~Oct 28 (CA)
  • Today

Near Fresno right now

  • Fall color is usually well under way by late October in CaliforniaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast
    ~4 weeks
  • First fall frost usually around Dec 14 · last spring frost around Jan 14NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Fresno Yosemite International (4 mi, 50% dates)
    ~3 months
  • Kaiser Pass Road · 50 mi · Local timing: Sep 25–Nov 30Fall foliage · in its window now
    In season
  • Wildflowers · Yosemite · 65 miLocal timing: Mar 1–Aug 31
    ~5 months

Fresno's nature year

From the town's own dates and its nearest places
  • Spring green-upJan
  • Last spring frostJan
  • Wildflowers · YosemiteMar–Aug
  • Desert superbloom · Carrizo PlainMar–Apr
  • Fall color (CA)Oct
  • First fall frostDec

Nearby, season by season

Real places within 150 miles, straight-line

Fall foliage

Desert superbloom

Wildflowers

  • Yosemite · 65 miLocal timing: Mar 1–Aug 31
    ~5 months
  • Pinnacles · 67 miusually Mar 1–May 31
    ~5 months
  • San Luis Refuge · 70 miLocal timing: Apr 1–30
    ~6 months

Frost and green-up

Last spring frost

Jan 14

Average (50% date)

First fall frost

Dec 14

About 334 days without frost between

Spring green-up

Jan 31

First bloom around Feb 28

Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Fresno Yosemite International (4 mi from Fresno), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.

Questions people ask

When is the first frost in Fresno?

On average around Dec 14, and the last spring frost around Jan 14: about 334 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Fresno Yosemite International, 4 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).

When does spring green-up reach Fresno?

The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Jan 31 and first bloom around Feb 28, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.

Where can I see fall foliage near Fresno?

Kaiser Pass Road, 50 miles (local timing: Sep 25–Nov 30); Yosemite, 65 miles (usually Oct 11–31). Distances are straight-line.

Where can I see desert superbloom near Fresno?

Carrizo Plain, 117 miles (usually Mar 21–Apr 10); Death Valley, 149 miles (usually Feb 11–Apr 10). Distances are straight-line.

How we know

US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)

All our sources and how we use them →