USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 93505 — California City, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mojave, CA (2,735 ft), 15 miles southwest.
Updated
In California City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 241 days (NOAA, Mojave, CA).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 241 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
- 28%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in California City
Half of springs at Mojave, CA see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 17 10%. The 33 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 61% 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 26 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 241 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 270 days one year in ten and falls short of 211 one year in ten. On average 40 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 April 11, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 20%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 12 | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 | Apr 6 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 |
| 16°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 8 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mojave, 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 93505 →Compare California City with another place →
Weather by month in California City
July is the warmest month at Mojave, CA, averaging 97°F by day and 69°F at night; December is the coldest at 57°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 71% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,174 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 283 California stations. 35% of them (1,822) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,028. Precipitation totals 5.7 inches a year, most in February (1.5") and least in June (0.0"); May to September bring 11% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 33 | 1.1 | 100% | 13 | 19 |
| Feb | 60 | 35 | 1.5 | 97% | 6 | 41 |
| Mar | 67 | 40 | 0.8 | 71% | 3 | 150 |
| Apr | 72 | 45 | 0.2 | 24% | <1 | 266 |
| May | 81 | 53 | 0.1 | 3% | 0 | 529 |
| Jun | 91 | 64 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 816 |
| Jul | 97 | 69 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 1028 |
| Aug | 97 | 67 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 998 |
| Sep | 90 | 61 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Oct | 78 | 49 | 0.4 | 10% | <1 | 433 |
| Nov | 66 | 39 | 0.3 | 87% | 4 | 128 |
| Dec | 57 | 32 | 0.8 | 100% | 15 | 14 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mojave, CA (2,735 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, Randsburg, CA, 22 miles northeast of California City and 835 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days later (March 19), a first frost 8 days later (November 25), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in California City, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Mojave, CA, 15.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93505
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 4 – January 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 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 93505 is 15 miles from Mojave, CA, which stands at 2,735 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 93505 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.