USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 92257 — Niland, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chiriaco Summit, CA (1,706 ft), 24 miles north.
Updated
In Niland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 5 in half of years and has passed by March 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 17, as early as November 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 313 days (NOAA, Chiriaco Summit, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 5
- First fall frost
- December 17
- Growing season
- 313 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 Niland
Half of springs at Chiriaco Summit, CA see their last 32°F night by February 5; only one in ten is past it by December 30, and one in ten still has one after March 5. Planting tender crops after February 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 28 20%, and after March 5 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 17 in half of years, as early as November 25 one year in ten, and holds off past January 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 20, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 313 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 351 days one year in ten and falls short of 277 one year in ten. On average 9 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 27 days longer, to about March 4, and return around December 1. A 24°F night is unusual: 9% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 29 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 |
| 28°F57% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 20 |
| 24°F9% 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 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 10 |
| 28°F57% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chiriaco Summit, 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 92257 →Compare Niland with another place →
Weather by month in Niland
August is the warmest month at Chiriaco Summit, CA, averaging 102°F by day and 75°F at night; December is the coldest at 64°F and 40°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 46% of years and March still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,247 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 283 California stations. 39% of them (2,826) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,192. Precipitation totals 4.8 inches a year, most in February (0.9") and least in June (0.0"); May to September bring 27% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 40 | 0.8 | 73% | 3 | 126 |
| Feb | 67 | 42 | 0.9 | 46% | 3 | 159 |
| Mar | 75 | 46 | 0.5 | 17% | <1 | 321 |
| Apr | 83 | 51 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 510 |
| May | 89 | 58 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 736 |
| Jun | 99 | 66 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Jul | 103 | 74 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 1192 |
| Aug | 102 | 75 | 0.4 | 0% | 0 | 1192 |
| Sep | 96 | 68 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 960 |
| Oct | 86 | 56 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 656 |
| Nov | 74 | 46 | 0.3 | 15% | 1 | 318 |
| Dec | 64 | 40 | 0.6 | 79% | 3 | 104 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chiriaco Summit, CA (1,706 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, Brawley 2 SW, CA, 26 miles south of Niland and 1,806 feet lower, has a last frost 20 days earlier (January 16), a first frost 2 days later (December 19), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Niland, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Niland, CA, 6.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 92257
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 27 – December 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 11 – December 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 17 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 92257 is 24 miles from Chiriaco Summit, CA, which stands at 1,706 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 92257 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.