USDA Hardiness Zone 10a
Frost Dates for 93060 — Santa Paula, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ojai, CA (745 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Santa Paula, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 235 days (NOAA, Ojai, CA).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 235 days
- Hardiness zone
- 10a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 6%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Santa Paula
Half of springs at Ojai, CA see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 20, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 15 10%. The 25 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% 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 November 15 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 15, 31 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 235 days in a typical year, shorter than at 72% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 270 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 31 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 29 days longer, to about April 19, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 76% of winters and 16°F in 0%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 20 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F76% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 19 |
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 |
| 24°F76% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 22 |
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ojai, 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 93060 →Compare Santa Paula with another place →
Weather by month in Santa Paula
August is the warmest month at Ojai, CA, averaging 91°F by day and 54°F at night; December is the coldest at 65°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 89% of years and March still brings one in 71% of years and April still brings one in 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,958 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 283 California stations. 35% of them (1,385) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 693. Precipitation totals 20.6 inches a year, most in February (5.2") and least in August (0.0"); May to September bring 4% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 35 | 5.1 | 98% | 9 | 70 |
| Feb | 67 | 36 | 5.2 | 89% | 6 | 85 |
| Mar | 70 | 39 | 3.4 | 71% | 2 | 157 |
| Apr | 74 | 41 | 1.1 | 34% | <1 | 233 |
| May | 77 | 46 | 0.5 | 1% | 0 | 363 |
| Jun | 82 | 50 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 477 |
| Jul | 89 | 54 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 665 |
| Aug | 91 | 54 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 693 |
| Sep | 88 | 51 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Oct | 81 | 45 | 0.8 | 16% | <1 | 400 |
| Nov | 73 | 37 | 1.3 | 84% | 4 | 172 |
| Dec | 65 | 33 | 2.9 | 99% | 10 | 54 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ojai, CA (745 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, Camarillo Airport, CA, 10 miles south of Santa Paula and 668 feet lower, has a 32°F night in 29% of winters against 100% here, and a coolest-month low 11°F warmer (44°F).
When it snows in Santa Paula, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ojai, CA, 10.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93060
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 93060 is 10 miles from Ojai, CA, which stands at 745 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 93060 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.