USDA Hardiness Zone 11a
Frost Dates for 90404 — Santa Monica, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA (174 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
Frost is not a yearly event in Santa Monica: a night at or below 32°F came in 0% of the winters of 1991–2020 at Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA, and a 36°F night, cold enough for frost on exposed leaves, in 12%. There is no reliable "last frost date" here; most years have none.
- Winters with a freeze
- 0%
- Winters with 36°F
- 12%
- Coldest month low
- 48°F
- Hardiness zone
- 11a
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, December
40 to 45°F (4.4 to 7.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Santa Monica
At Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA, 2 miles southeast of Santa Monica, 0% of the winters of 1991–2020 had at least one night at or below 32°F, and none reached 28°F. Even a 36°F night came in only 12% of winters. January is the month most likely to bring one: a 0% chance in a given year. 62 of the 283 other California stations behind this site's ZIP pages freeze in fewer than half of winters too.
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 90404 →Compare Santa Monica with another place →
Weather by month in Santa Monica
August is the warmest month at Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA, averaging 77°F by day and 63°F at night; December is the coldest at 66°F and 48°F. Every month stays under a 10% chance of a 32°F night; January is the likeliest at 0%.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,708 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 283 California stations. 40% of them (1,881) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 615. Precipitation totals 13.5 inches a year, most in January (3.3") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 4% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 49 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 231 |
| Feb | 66 | 49 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 206 |
| Mar | 66 | 51 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 270 |
| Apr | 68 | 53 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 314 |
| May | 69 | 57 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 395 |
| Jun | 71 | 60 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 465 |
| Jul | 75 | 63 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Aug | 77 | 63 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Sep | 76 | 62 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 576 |
| Oct | 74 | 58 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 498 |
| Nov | 70 | 52 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 332 |
| Dec | 66 | 48 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 217 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA (174 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Santa Monica Pier, CA, 2 miles southwest of Santa Monica and 160 feet lower, has the same share of winters with a 32°F night, 0%, and a coolest-month low 2°F warmer (50°F).
When it snows in Santa Monica, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Santa Monica Pier, CA, 2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 90404 is 2 miles from Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA, which stands at 174 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 90405 (Santa Monica). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 90404 in zone 11a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 40 to 45°F (4.4 to 7.2°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across California →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.