USDA Hardiness Zone 10a
Frost Dates for 92081 — Vista, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Vista, CA (430 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
Frost is not a yearly event in Vista: a night at or below 32°F came in 35% of the winters of 1991–2020 at Vista, CA, and a 36°F night, cold enough for frost on exposed leaves, in 89%. There is no reliable "last frost date" here; most years have none.
- Winters with a freeze
- 35%
- Winters with 36°F
- 89%
- Coldest month low
- 45°F
- Hardiness zone
- 10a
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, December
30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Vista
At Vista, CA, 4 miles north of Vista, 35% of the winters of 1991–2020 had at least one night at or below 32°F, 10% reached 28°F. Nights of 36°F, enough for frost on exposed leaves, are more common (89% of winters) and, when they come, fall between about December 25 and February 16. December is the month most likely to bring one: a 15% 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.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F89% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 6 | Jan 22 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 15 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F89% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 20 | Feb 9 |
| 32°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Vista, 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 92081 →Compare Vista with another place →
Weather by month in Vista
August is the warmest month at Vista, CA, averaging 81°F by day and 63°F at night; December is the coldest at 65°F and 45°F. From January to November the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,701 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 283 California stations. 38% of them (1,784) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 680. Precipitation totals 13.5 inches a year, most in February (3.1") and least in August (0.0"); May to September bring 6% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 46 | 2.9 | 9% | 1 | 185 |
| Feb | 65 | 46 | 3.1 | 9% | <1 | 165 |
| Mar | 67 | 48 | 2.1 | 7% | <1 | 235 |
| Apr | 69 | 50 | 1.0 | 1% | <1 | 298 |
| May | 71 | 55 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 406 |
| Jun | 75 | 59 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 495 |
| Jul | 79 | 62 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 637 |
| Aug | 81 | 63 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 680 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Oct | 76 | 56 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 499 |
| Nov | 71 | 50 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 313 |
| Dec | 65 | 45 | 1.9 | 15% | <1 | 162 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Vista, CA (430 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, Carlsbad Palomar Airport, CA, 4 miles southwest of Vista, has a 32°F night in 1% of winters against 35% here, and a coolest-month low 2°F warmer (47°F).
When it snows in Vista, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Vista, CA, 3.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 92081 is 4 miles from Vista, CA, which stands at 430 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 92056 (Oceanside). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 92081 in zone 10a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°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.