USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 92252 — Joshua Tree, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Joshua Tree, CA (2,563 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Joshua Tree, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 273 days (NOAA, Joshua Tree, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 273 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Joshua Tree
Half of springs at Joshua Tree, CA see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by January 21, and one in ten still has one after March 28. Planting tender crops after March 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 28 10%. The 28 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 60% 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 12 one year in ten, and holds off past December 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 28, 28 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 273 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 315 days one year in ten and falls short of 240 one year in ten. On average 24 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 30 days longer, to about March 30, and return around November 16. A 24°F night is unusual: 49% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 1 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Jan 21 | Feb 4 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 | Mar 28 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| 24°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 7 |
| 24°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Joshua Tree, 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 92252 →Compare Joshua Tree with another place →
Weather by month in Joshua Tree
July is the warmest month at Joshua Tree, CA, averaging 102°F by day and 70°F at night; December is the coldest at 60°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in December (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 71% of years and March still brings one in 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,041 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 91% of the 283 California stations. 37% of them (2,219) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,103. Precipitation totals 4.6 inches a year, most in January (1.2") and least in June (0.0"); May to September bring 22% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 38 | 1.2 | 89% | 6 | 62 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 0.7 | 71% | 5 | 105 |
| Mar | 70 | 43 | 0.5 | 43% | 2 | 219 |
| Apr | 77 | 47 | 0.2 | 8% | <1 | 370 |
| May | 86 | 54 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Jun | 95 | 61 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Jul | 102 | 70 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 1103 |
| Aug | 100 | 70 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 1080 |
| Sep | 93 | 64 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 844 |
| Oct | 82 | 52 | 0.3 | 3% | <1 | 531 |
| Nov | 69 | 43 | 0.2 | 44% | 2 | 211 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 0.5 | 98% | 9 | 52 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Joshua Tree, CA (2,563 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, Yucca Valley, CA, 6 miles southwest of Joshua Tree and 686 feet higher, has a last frost 14 days later (March 14), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 28), a season 18 days shorter.
When it snows in Joshua Tree, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Twentynine Palms, CA, 14.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 92252
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 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 92252 is 2 miles from Joshua Tree, CA, which stands at 2,563 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 92252 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.