USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 93210 — Coalinga, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Coalinga, CA (670 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Coalinga, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 14 in half of years and has passed by March 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 30, as early as November 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 292 days (NOAA, Coalinga, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 14
- First fall frost
- November 30
- Growing season
- 292 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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Coalinga
Half of springs at Coalinga, CA see their last 32°F night by February 14; only one in ten is past it by January 10, and one in ten still has one after March 8. Planting tender crops after February 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 28 20%, and after March 8 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 81% 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 30 in half of years, as early as November 15 one year in ten, and holds off past December 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 19, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 292 days in a typical year, longer than at 59% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 327 days one year in ten and falls short of 261 one year in ten. On average 22 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 25 days longer, to about March 11, and return around November 17. A 24°F night is unusual: 36% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 15 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Apr 1 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 28°F85% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 19 |
| 24°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 |
| 28°F85% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 18 |
| 24°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Coalinga, 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 93210 →Compare Coalinga with another place →
Weather by month in Coalinga
July is the warmest month at Coalinga, CA, averaging 101°F by day and 69°F at night; December is the coldest at 60°F and 37°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 63% of years and March still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,062 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 283 California stations. 38% of them (2,319) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,079. Precipitation totals 8.2 inches a year, most in January (2.0") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 6% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 38 | 2.0 | 86% | 7 | 48 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 1.8 | 63% | 3 | 108 |
| Mar | 72 | 45 | 1.5 | 17% | <1 | 255 |
| Apr | 78 | 49 | 0.4 | 1% | <1 | 394 |
| May | 87 | 56 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Jun | 95 | 63 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 860 |
| Jul | 101 | 69 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 1079 |
| Aug | 100 | 67 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 1040 |
| Sep | 95 | 61 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| Oct | 83 | 52 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 547 |
| Nov | 70 | 42 | 0.5 | 51% | 2 | 193 |
| Dec | 60 | 37 | 1.2 | 88% | 10 | 47 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Coalinga, CA (670 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, Five Points 5 SSW, CA, 14 miles northeast of Coalinga and 385 feet lower, has a last frost 13 days later (February 27), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 26), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Coalinga, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Coalinga, CA, 5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93210
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 6 – December 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 20 – January 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 30 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 93210 is 5 miles from Coalinga, CA, which stands at 670 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93210 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.