GreenlyFrost dates and when to plant in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
France
In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur the last spring frost comes between 11 February (Marseille) and 10 March (Nice) — the median of 2016–2025 in 3 cities. The first autumn frost comes between 2 December (Avignon) and 7 December (Nice). The frost-free season lasts 272–289 days. One of the 4 cities had no frost at all. Tomato: plant out into open ground 18 April – 17 August, earliest in Avignon, latest in Nice.
Frost dates by city in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
| City | Last spring frost | First autumn frost | Frost-free days | Climate zone | Tomato: window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marseille | 11 February | none in ten years | — | Frost without a regular season | from 13 April |
| Avignon | 16 February | 2 December | 289 | 270 frost-free days or more | 18 April – 12 August |
| Nice | 10 March | 7 December | 272 | 270 frost-free days or more | 3 May – 17 August |
| Toulon | none in ten years | none in ten years | — | No frost in ten years | — |
Median of 2016–2025 for the 25 km grid cell of the city: the last day at or below 0 °C in spring and the first in autumn (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo). In a cold year a frost can come a week or two later — Greenly warns 48 hours ahead.
When to plant in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur: windows by crop
The earliest start and the latest end among the cities here, each with its city; every city’s own window is on its page. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing |
|---|---|
| Tomato | 18 April (Avignon) – 17 August (Nice) |
| Cucumber | 18 May (Avignon) – 22 September (Nice) |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 18 May (Avignon) – 17 August (Nice) |
| Zucchini | 18 May (Avignon) – 20 September (Nice) |
| Pumpkin | 18 May (Avignon) – 12 August (Nice) |
| Watermelon | 18 May (Avignon) – 28 August (Nice) |
| Peas | 26 January (Avignon) – 24 September (Nice) |
| Garlic | Autumn planting: 2 November (Avignon) – end of December (Nice) |
| Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: by 7 November (Nice) |
Weather by month in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Across the 4 cities the warmest month is August (average days 25.8 … 31.3 °C) and the coldest January (average nights 1.4 … 9.9 °C). No city here averages below 0 °C at night in any month.
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.1 … 13.1 °C | 1.4 … 9.9 °C | 51 |
| February | 11.9 … 13.4 °C | 2.3 … 10.2 °C | 53 |
| March | 13.8 … 15.8 °C | 3.9 … 10.8 °C | 68 |
| April | 15.6 … 19 °C | 7 … 12.7 °C | 62 |
| May | 18.4 … 22.8 °C | 10.7 … 15.5 °C | 66 |
| June | 22.5 … 28.8 °C | 15.5 … 19.8 °C | 34 |
| July | 25.3 … 31.7 °C | 17.9 … 22.2 °C | 14 |
| August | 25.8 … 31.3 °C | 18 … 22.6 °C | 24 |
| September | 23.4 … 25.9 °C | 14.2 … 20.2 °C | 57 |
| October | 19.6 … 21 °C | 10.4 … 17.1 °C | 108 |
| November | 14.2 … 16.5 °C | 5.5 … 13.3 °C | 107 |
| December | 11 … 14.3 °C | 2.2 … 10.8 °C | 81 |
Day and night: the lowest … highest monthly average among the cities; rain: the middle city (ERA5 via Open-Meteo).
