USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 92371 — Phelan, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wrightwood, CA (6,000 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In Phelan, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 16 in half of years and has passed by June 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 151 days (NOAA, Wrightwood, CA).
- Last spring frost
- May 16
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 151 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 11%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Phelan
Half of springs at Wrightwood, CA see their last 32°F night by May 16; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after June 9. Planting tender crops after May 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 3 20%, and after June 9 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 74% 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 October 13 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 27 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 151 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 122 one year in ten. On average 159 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 19 days longer, to about June 4, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between December 17 and February 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 14 | May 23 | May 28 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 8 | Jun 11 | Jun 15 | Jun 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 | May 16 | May 22 | May 29 | Jun 3 | Jun 9 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 22 | Apr 2 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 15 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 10 | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 17 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wrightwood, 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 92371 →Compare Phelan with another place →
Weather by month in Phelan
July is the warmest month at Wrightwood, CA, averaging 83°F by day and 53°F at night; December is the coldest at 48°F and 25°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 71% of years and June still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,050 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 283 California stations. 27% of them (553) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 555. Precipitation totals 21.1 inches a year, most in February (4.9") and least in June (0.1"); May to September bring 13% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 4.4 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Feb | 48 | 25 | 4.9 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 54 | 29 | 1.9 | 100% | 23 | 9 |
| Apr | 60 | 32 | 0.8 | 100% | 18 | 38 |
| May | 69 | 39 | 0.8 | 71% | 6 | 166 |
| Jun | 78 | 44 | 0.1 | 25% | 1 | 339 |
| Jul | 83 | 53 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 555 |
| Aug | 82 | 51 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 516 |
| Sep | 75 | 46 | 0.4 | 17% | 1 | 325 |
| Oct | 64 | 37 | 1.2 | 87% | 10 | 93 |
| Nov | 55 | 29 | 1.1 | 100% | 21 | 8 |
| Dec | 48 | 25 | 4.1 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wrightwood, CA (6,000 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, El Mirage, CA, 11 miles northwest of Phelan and 3,050 feet lower, has a last frost 56 days earlier (March 21), a first frost 30 days later (November 12), a season 84 days longer.
When it snows in Phelan, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Victorville, CA, 14.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 92371
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 7 – March 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 18 – May 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 92371 is 9 miles from Wrightwood, CA, which stands at 6,000 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 92371 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.