USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 93460 — Santa Ynez, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cachuma Lake, CA (789 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Santa Ynez, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Cachuma Lake, CA).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 209 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 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Santa Ynez
Half of springs at Cachuma Lake, CA see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 6 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 32 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 171 one year in ten. On average 19 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 31 days longer, to about May 12, and return around October 17. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 88% of winters and 16°F in 5%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 12 | May 18 | May 25 | May 30 | Jun 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Jan 24 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 25 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 25 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cachuma Lake, 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 93460 →Compare Santa Ynez with another place →
Weather by month in Santa Ynez
August is the warmest month at Cachuma Lake, CA, averaging 93°F by day and 49°F at night; December is the coldest at 67°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 87% of years and April still brings one in 71% of years and May still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,910 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 283 California stations. 35% of them (1,386) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 646. Precipitation totals 21.1 inches a year, most in February (5.3") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 3% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67 | 34 | 4.9 | 99% | 5 | 78 |
| Feb | 68 | 35 | 5.3 | 93% | 4 | 90 |
| Mar | 71 | 38 | 3.6 | 87% | 1 | 162 |
| Apr | 76 | 39 | 1.3 | 71% | 1 | 233 |
| May | 80 | 43 | 0.5 | 13% | 0 | 351 |
| Jun | 86 | 45 | 0.1 | 2% | 0 | 473 |
| Jul | 92 | 48 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 618 |
| Aug | 93 | 49 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Sep | 91 | 47 | 0.1 | 3% | 0 | 560 |
| Oct | 84 | 43 | 0.8 | 28% | <1 | 423 |
| Nov | 75 | 38 | 1.2 | 89% | 2 | 208 |
| Dec | 67 | 33 | 3.3 | 100% | 7 | 69 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cachuma Lake, CA (789 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, Santa Barbara 11 W, CA, 18 miles southeast of Santa Ynez and 771 feet lower, has a 32°F night in 46% of winters against 100% here, and a coolest-month low 9°F warmer (42°F).
When it snows in Santa Ynez, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cachuma Lake, CA, 5.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93460
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 93460 is 6 miles from Cachuma Lake, CA, which stands at 789 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 93463 (Solvang). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93460 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.