USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 92082 — Valley Center, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Valley Ctr 1N, CA (1,290 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In Valley Center, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 19 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 281 days (NOAA, Valley Ctr 1N, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 19
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 281 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Valley Center
Half of springs at Valley Ctr 1N, CA see their last 32°F night by February 19; only one in ten is past it by January 10, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 16 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 40 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 85% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 1 in half of years, as early as November 11 one year in ten, and holds off past December 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 14, 45 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 281 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 321 days one year in ten and falls short of 240 one year in ten. On average 19 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 42 days longer, to about April 2, and return around November 13. A 24°F night is unusual: 26% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 1 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Jan 10 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 16 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F85% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 14 |
| 24°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 |
| 28°F85% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Dec 31 | Jan 12 |
| 24°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Valley Ctr 1N, 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 92082 →Compare Valley Center with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Escondido #2, CA, 11 miles southwest of Valley Center and 690 feet lower, has a 32°F night in 39% of winters against 100% here.
When it snows in Valley Center, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Escondido #2, CA, 10.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 92082
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 11 – December 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 25 – January 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 1 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 92082 is 3 miles from Valley Ctr 1N, CA, which stands at 1,290 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 92082 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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.