Your nature year
San Jose, Californiathrough the year
Also for Fremont, CA, Sunnyvale, CA, Santa Clara, CA, Mountain View, CA, Milpitas, CA, Palo Alto, CA, Union City, CA, Gilroy, CA, Cupertino, CA, Newark, CA, Morgan Hill, CA, Campbell, CA, Menlo Park, CA, Los Gatos, CA, Los Altos, CA, Saratoga, CA, East Palo Alto, CA: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to San Jose?
San Joaquin River Refuge, 37 miles from San Jose, is the nearest wildflowers spot on this site, Apr 1–30 (local timing). For fall foliage, the nearest is Yosemite (120 mi, usually Oct 11–31). At the San Jose weather station (7.5 mi), the average first fall frost is Dec 25 and the last spring frost Jan 2, which leaves San Jose some 357 growing days. Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. Spring green-up reaches town around Jan 28, with first blooms around Feb 24. Within 150 miles we follow 6 places, out to Kaiser Pass Road 148 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)
San Jose's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Jan 2 to ~Dec 25
- First leaf ~Jan 28
- First bloom ~Feb 24
- Fall color under way ~Oct 28 (CA)
- Today
Near San Jose 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 25 · last spring frost around Jan 2NOAA 1991–2020 normals, San Jose (7.5 mi, 50% dates)~3 months
- Kaiser Pass Road · 148 mi · Local timing: Sep 25–Nov 30Fall foliage · in its window now
- Wildflowers · San Joaquin River Refuge · 37 miLocal timing: Apr 1–30~6 months
San Jose's nature year
- Spring green-upJan
- Last spring frostJan
- Wildflowers · San Joaquin River RefugeApr
- Fall color (CA)Oct
- First fall frostDec
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Yosemite · 120 miusually Oct 11–31~13 days
- Kaiser Pass Road · 148 miLocal timing: Sep 25–Nov 30
Wildflowers
- San Joaquin River Refuge · 37 miLocal timing: Apr 1–30~6 months
- San Luis Refuge · 50 miLocal timing: Apr 1–30~6 months
- Pinnacles · 75 miusually Mar 1–May 31~5 months
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Jan 2
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Dec 25
About 357 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Jan 28
First bloom around Feb 24
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at San Jose (7.5 mi from San Jose), 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 San Jose?
On average around Dec 25, and the last spring frost around Jan 2: about 357 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at San Jose, 7.5 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach San Jose?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Jan 28 and first bloom around Feb 24, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near San Jose?
Yosemite, 120 miles (usually Oct 11–31); Kaiser Pass Road, 148 miles (local timing: Sep 25–Nov 30). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near San Jose?
San Joaquin River Refuge, 37 miles (local timing: Apr 1–30); San Luis Refuge, 50 miles (local timing: Apr 1–30); Pinnacles, 75 miles (usually Mar 1–May 31). 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)