USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 93532 — Lake Hughes, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fairmont, CA (3,060 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Lake Hughes, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 29, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 236 days (NOAA, Fairmont, CA).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- November 29
- Growing season
- 236 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lake Hughes
Half of springs at Fairmont, CA see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by February 20, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 20 10%. The 44 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% 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 29 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around December 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 19 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 236 days in a typical year, shorter than at 72% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 289 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 24 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 24 days longer, to about April 30, and return around November 13. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 69% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 6 | May 15 | May 23 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Feb 20 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 27 | Apr 6 | Apr 14 | Apr 25 | May 6 | May 20 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 22 | Feb 2 | Feb 14 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 17 | Apr 5 | May 1 |
| 24°F69% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 22 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 24 | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 7 |
| 24°F69% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 27 | Feb 15 |
| 20°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fairmont, 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 93532 →Compare Lake Hughes with another place →
Weather by month in Lake Hughes
August is the warmest month at Fairmont, CA, averaging 93°F by day and 68°F at night; December is the coldest at 55°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From June to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,970 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 283 California stations. 34% of them (1,677) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 946. Precipitation totals 16.0 inches a year, most in February (4.4") and least in August (0.0"); May to September bring 5% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 38 | 3.7 | 94% | 6 | 43 |
| Feb | 58 | 39 | 4.4 | 80% | 5 | 67 |
| Mar | 63 | 43 | 2.5 | 63% | 2 | 154 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 1.0 | 40% | 1 | 247 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 0.4 | 23% | <1 | 454 |
| Jun | 86 | 62 | 0.1 | 3% | 0 | 711 |
| Jul | 92 | 68 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Aug | 93 | 68 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 946 |
| Sep | 88 | 62 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 750 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 0.7 | 5% | <1 | 463 |
| Nov | 65 | 44 | 0.7 | 52% | 2 | 171 |
| Dec | 55 | 37 | 2.2 | 98% | 7 | 36 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fairmont, CA (3,060 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, Lancaster Wm J Fox Field, CA, 15 miles east of Lake Hughes and 722 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 3), a first frost 28 days earlier (November 1), a season 25 days shorter.
When it snows in Lake Hughes, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Fairmont, CA, 2.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93532
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 29 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 93532 is 3 miles from Fairmont, CA, which stands at 3,060 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 93536 (Lancaster). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93532 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.